
Class JBX4!Kl5 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSnV 



J 



Life and Letters 



OF 



Henry Van Rensselaer 



Priest of tke Society of Jesus 



REV. EDWARD P: SPILLANE, S.J, 



(Permissu Superioriim) 



SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED 



THE AMERICA PRESS 

NEW YORK 

1912 







C0P\'l'fIGHT, 1912, 
BY THE 

AMERICA PRESS 



CC!.A314437 



To THE Men 

Followers^ Penitents and Friends 

OF A Noble Priest 

\\'ho Spent his Life 

In promoting their Spiritual Welfare 

This Tribute 

To Their Faithful "Father Van" 

is 

Respectfully Inscribed. 



IRtbil ©bstat : 

REMIGIUS LAFORT, S.T.L. 

Censor Deputatus. 



IFmpdmatur : 

JOANNES M. FARLEY 

Archie piscopus Neo-Eboraccnsis. 



Nzo-Eboraci^ 

die 4 Octobris, 1908. 



INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION 

THE present edition of this book does not differ mate- 
rially from the first. Attention, however, may be 
called to the development of that portion which treats of 
Father Van Rensselaer's public life. When the "Life and 
Letters" was first published it was felt that a fuller presen- 
tation of Father Van Rensselaer's career in the priesthood 
was desirable, — a desideratum which kindly criticism has 
also pointed out. This deficiency, it is hoped, has now been 
made up. It is obvious that to gather details covering so 
wide a field and so many activities requires time, to say 
nothing of opportunity. The interval since his death has 
supplied the time, and opportunity has been sought indus- 
triously. Moreover, four years have given the necessary 
perspective, enabling one to sift what was well authenticated 
and characteristic from what had undergone a process of 
development and consequent exaggeration in going the 
rounds of charitable gossip. The crescit eitndo of the poet 
plays strange freaks with truth as well as with falsehood. 
Nothing has been accepted which has not been obtained at 
first hand. The chapter on the Novitiate has been supple- 
mented by a precious letter from one of his fellow novices. 
This and a letter addressed from the Scholasticate to a 
relative who had joined a religious Sisterhood, are the only 
adchtions to the story of this period. The chapter on the 
Tertianship has been re-written ; so, too, his excursions into 
the field of literature as a member of The Messenger staff. 
As to the rest, a chapter has been inserted' giving the letters 
to his mother separately, with a word or two about the 

V 



INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION 

character of one who was not only so' dear to him, but with 
whom he preserved unbroken intercourse during the latter 
years of her life. Several new chapters are devoted to the 
recital of incidents which enable us to see the faithful priest 
in the general work of the ministry, while his dealings with 
the policemen and firemen, which consumed a large portion 
of his time, are practically now told for the first time. The 
story of the Xavier Club has likewise been expanded and 
an omission supplied respecting his work in the hospitals. 
These additions and details set in clearer outline the features 
of his priestly career which were only roughly sketched 
before. 

Perhaps it may not be deemed out of place here to ac- 
knowledge the grateful appreciation with which this memoir 
of Father Van Rensselaer has been received. Many have 
found in it a help in their efforts towards a higher spiritual 
life, many too, an inspiration to follow unreservedly whither 
grace leads. 

The writer expresses the hope that those who have seen 
the faithful portrayal of Father Van Rensselaer in his own 
letters will derive new pleasure from the picture of the 
priest in action as exhibited in the narratives of those who 
had the rare privilege of knowing him in the ministry. 



VI 



INTRODUCTORY 

A WORD of explanation as tO' the soiuxes from which 
. this Hfe of Father Van Rensselaer has been drawn 
may not be amiss. 

The story of the early history of the patroons is found in 
the Magazine of American History, in an exhaustive paper 
on "The Van Rensselaer Manor," contributed by the editor, 
Martha J. Lamb. Further details have been gleaned from 
a carefully written article which appeared some years ago 
in the columns of the New York Sun, 

The story of Father Van Rensselaer's conversion is told 
in an autobiographical sketch found among his papers after 
his death. This sketch is particularly valuable as revealing 
the inner workings of his soul, his habits of thought and 
temperament, the motives actuating his conduct, the long 
and arduous search for the truth, and the happiness with 
which his soul was filled when he found himself at last, as 
he says, "over the wall, and safe in the bosom of the One 
True Church." 

It must not be forgotten, however, that the sketch was 
written a cjuarter of a century after most of the events re- 
corded therein. It is unquestionably a faithful account of 
what happened at that time so far as memory served him. 
Due allowance, therefore, should be made for the disturbed 
condition of a mind at a period when it was going through 
most harrowing experiences; "for," to quote Cardinal 
Newman, "who can know himself, and the subtle influences 
which act upon him? and who can recollect, at the distance 
of twenty-five years , all that he once knew about his 

vii 



INTRODUCTORY 

thoughts and his deeds, and that, during a portion of his 
life, when even at the time his observation, v^rhether of him- 
self or of the external world, was less than before or after, 
by very reason of the perplexity and dismay which weighed 
upon him, — when, though it would be most unthankful to 
imply that he had not all-sufficient light amid his darkness, 
yet a darkness it emphatically was?"* 

The autobiographical sketch was originally written in the 
first person and was reproduced verbatim in the pages of 
The Messenger. As incorfjorated in this life, the form 
has been somewhat changed. Facts have been separated 
from opinions, the narration of events detached from the 
discussion of religion, in the belief that the logical processes 
which led to Father Van Rensselaer's conversion would 
stand out in bolder relief, and the sketch be more in keeping, 
with the requirements of a biography. So the first person 
has been retained, as a rule, only when he describes his 
mental attitude. The letters from Oxford were an unex- 
pected find. Father Van Rensselaer up to the day of his 
death never suspected their existence. The friend to whom 
they were written thought they had been destroyed and dis- 
covered them only after a repeated and prolonged search. 
They will be found in almost every particular remarkably 
corroborative of the later narrative, and give very interest- 
ing information on the daily life of a student and the char- 
acter of the Dons at the University of Oxford. The por- 
traits given of Dr. Liddon and Dr. King will be appre- 
ciated by those who are at all interested in the more recent 
history of Oxford. After the withdrawal of Newman from 
the classic halls of the Universitv and from the historic pul- 



*Apologia, N. Y., 1865, p. 134. 

viii 



INTRODUCTORY 

pit of St. Mary's, Oxford might well be termed a City of 
Confusion, and these letters, though covering only the short 
period of a single year, give a very fair insight into the 
topsy-turvy condition of affairs prevailing there a genera- 
tion later. In editing them, much had to be omitted, as it 
was of a character too personal for publication. Attention 
may well be called to the marvellous contrast prevailing be- 
tween the letters from Oxford and those written after 
Father Van Rensselaer was received into the Church and 
enrolled among the members of the Society of Jesus. The 
same man speaks in both, but in the earlier ones he is har- 
assed by doubt and misgivings, in the later his mind and 
heart are both at rest and in the possession of perfect peace. 
The biographer has only a word to add. His work in 
piecing together the narrative has been a work of love. 
During twenty-eight years he knew Father Van Rensselaer 
intimately, and was associated with him as a student of 
philosophy and theology, as a professor in college, as a 
priest in the ministry. The reminiscences covering that 
period are for the most part personal, and on that account, 
it is hoped, will the better fill out the portrait of his friend, 
which is outlined in the autobiographical sketch and in the 
letters which appear in the volume. The writer makes 
grateful acknowledgment to the sister of Father Van Rens- 
selaer, in religion Sister Dolores, for invaluable assistance 
by furnishing letters and biographical data; to Father 
Francis Mackall of Midland, Maryland, for the Oxford let- 
ters, and to Father Wynne and Father Campbell of The 
Messenger staff. 

Edward P. Spillane^ S.J. 



IX 



CONTENTS 

Introduction to the Second Edition . . . . vii 

Introductory ix 

CHAPTER PACxE 

I Ancestry and Family Life .... 1 

II Boyhood and Early Life 12 

III General Theological Seminary^ New 

York 17 

IV Germany and Oxford 24 

V Letters from Oxford 37 

VI Letters from Oxford (Continued) . . 84 

VII Anglican Deacon 122 

VIII His Co'Nversion 129 

IX A Catholic 142 

X The Jesuit Novice 152 

XI Letters to His Mother 164 

XII Woodstock College 191 

XIII The Class Room 218 

XIV Ordained a Priest 228 

XV Begins His Ministry 242 

XVI The Tertianship 250 

XVII Messenger of the Sacred Heart . . . 261 

XVIII The Xavier Club . 270 

XIX Works of Zeal 278 

XX In the Ministry . 285 

XXI Rocky Mountain Mission 298 

XXII Various Societies — The Police . . . 302 

XXIII With the Fire Laddies 309 

XXIV Last Illness and Deatpi 321 

X 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



FACING PAGE 

Henry Van Rensselaer, SJ .... Frontispiece ^ 

Col. Henry Van Rensselaer 8 

Henry Van Rensselaer in Boyhood .... 14 '^ 

Henry Van Rensselaer at Oxford .... 60 

Iffley Church, Oxford ...'.... 88 " 

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford .... 112 

Rev. John Prendergast, S.J 156 

Jesuit Novitiate, Roehampton, England . . 168 
Elizabeth Ray King, Mother of Rev. Henry 

Van Rensselaer 186 

Cfiurch of St. Francis Xavier, New York City 252 

Little Ones of Nazareth Day Nursery . . . 276 '^ 



XI 



CHAPTER I. 
Ancestry and Family. 

THE name of Van Rensselaer has always been a familiar 
one in the history of the Empire State. The family 
representatives bore the ancient Dutch title of Patroon, and 
in the days of English ascendancy in America that of Lord 
of the Manor. Their titles fell into disuse during the Revo- 
lution, but their vast holdings in land remained until the 
middle of the nineteenth century, and their family and social 
distinction down to the present day. 

The founder of the family in America w.as Kilian Van 
Rensselaer. He was born in 1595, and was a descendant of 
a long line of worthy citizens of Amsterdam. The manor 
from which the family took its name is still called Rensse- 
laer, and is situated about three miles southeast of Nykerk 
in Holland. It was originally an estate the possession of 
which conferred nobility. 

Kilian Van Rensselaer took an active part in the forma- 
tion of the Dutch West India Company, furnishing the cor- 
poration with ships of his own and more than once advanc- 
ing money to save its credit. He also sent an agent to trade 
with the Indians for land on the west side of the Hudson 
River from twelve miles south of Albany to Smacks Island, 
''stretching two days into the interior," and eventually ef- 
fected the purchase of all the land on the east side of the 
river, both north and south of Fort Orange, and "far into 
the wilderness." This great feudal demesne, which com- 
prised the present counties of Albany, Columbia and Rens- 

1 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

selaer, received the name of Rensselaerswyck. The estate 
was forty-eight miles long and twenty-four miles wide, 
while the Hudson divided it into two equal parts. It could 
not have been situated more advantageously, as the waters 
of the Hudson connected with the Atlantic and, through the 
Mohawk, with the great waterways of the North and West. 

Van Ransselaer established his manor house at the con- 
fluence of the two rivers, a position which, at a time when 
the knowledge of the geography of America scarcely ex- 
tended beyond its coastline, might have been justly looked 
upon as the key to the whole continent. Upon the territory 
once forming this great estate have since sprung up thriving 
towns and villages, and cities like Albany, Troy, Rensselaer 
and Schenectady. 

Kilian Van Rensselaer sent over sturdy settlers with their 
families, servants and household goods. His colony grew 
and prospered, the soil was tilled, comfortable houses were 
built, schools and churches founded, and order and method 
established everywhere. He died in 1644. Strange to say, 
there is no record of his ever having visited America. 

It would make interesting reading to follow the fortunes 
of the successive patroons who ruled over Rensselaerswyck. 
Few of them there were who did not leave an impression on 
the political, social or military history of their time. 

Jan Baptist Van Rensselaer, the third patroon, w^as a half 
brother of his predecessor, Johannes. The latter had once 
or twice visited his great possessions in New York, but he, 
too, for the most part resided in Holland. In 1658 Jan 
Baptist also returned to Holland, where he ended his days. 

Conspicuous in the family was a clergyman, the Rev. 
Nicholaus Van Rensselaer, the eighth child of the first pa- 
troon and brother of the second. He had been licensed by 

2 



ANCESTRY AND FAMILY 

Charles I to preach in the Dutch Church at Westminster, 
and, recommended by James, Duke of York, he came lo 
New York to fill one of the Dutch pulpits in the Province. 
The dominie died in Albany, and his widow married Rob- 
ert Livingston, the founder of the Livingston family in 
America. 

Jeremias, the next director of Rensselaerswyck, and 
brother to Jan Baptist, was deservedly popular for his 
prudent management of affairs during sixteen years. He 
acquired great influence among the Indians and won the 
respect of the French in Canada. His correspondence, 
which is still extant, evinces no little native talent as well as 
enormous industry. His autograph is remarkable for its 
beauty and is one of the most characteristic to be found in 
the records of the century. He was president of the Land- 
tag, or Diet, which five months before the surrender of the 
province to the English had been summoned to New York 
to discuss the affairs of the colony. When the English came 
into possession of New York, he declined to cede to the new 
government the town of Albany, which he claimed as a part 
of Rensselaerswyck. After portracted negotiation. Gov- 
ernor Dongan in person visited the patroon, and obtained 
from him a formal concession of his feudal right over the 
miniature capital of the future State, along with sixteen 
miles of territory extending into the country westward. In 
the following year, 1686, Albany was incorporated as a 
city. 

Jeremias' wife was a daughter of Oloff Stevenson Van 
Courtlandt, the first of the family of that name in New 
York; their daughter. ]^Iaria Van Rensselaer, married Peter 
Schuyler, the first Mayor of Albany. 

Stephen Van Rensselaer TTT. the last of the patroons, and 

8 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

perhaps the most distinguished in that long Hne of dis- 
tinguished men, was destined to bridge the chasm, which 
existed between two opposite poHtical systems. Born in 
1764, the subject of a King and the scion of a feudal aris- 
tocracy, with immense inherited estates and chartered baro- 
nial rights, he favored from the first the new political sys- 
tem in America, and was one of the staunchest upholders of 
popular sovereignty. His father having died, he was edu- 
cated by his grandfather, Philip Livingston, who was one of . 
the signers of the Declaration of Independence. In due 
course he was graduated from Harvard with high honors. 
Before he was of age, he married Margaret, the daughter of 
General Philip Schuyler, thus transmitting to his posterity 
the blood of five of the great Colonial families, Schuyler, 
Livingston, Van Courtlandt, Ten Broek, and Van Rensse- 
laer. After his graduation, he kept up his studies and per- 
sonally managed his large estates. In the period succeeding 
the Revolutionary War, no man in the State carried with 
him greater personal influence. He was a friend of Wash- 
ington, and was successively a member of the Assembly and 
of the State Senate, as well as twice Lieutenant Governor of 
the State, when John Jay was Governor. In the war of 
1812, when Governor Tompkins summoned the State Mili- 
tia into immediate service. Van Rensselaer was appointed to 
take chief command ; nor did he hesitate to leave his lux- 
urious home and march to the frontier with the utmost dis- 
patch. Among his officers were many of his kinsmen, 
notably Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, who was wound- 
ed at the battle of Queenstown Heights. 

After the war Stephen Van Rensselaer entered heart and 
soul into every project which he considered advantageous 
to the State. He declared his willingness to construct, at 

4 



1 



ANCESTRY AND FAMILY 

• 
his own expense, the whole of the Erie Canal, so confident 
was he of the feasibility of the enterprise. He was a mem- 
ber of Congress from 1822 to 1829, and cast the deciding- 
vote in the election of John Quincy Adams to the Presi- 
dency of the Republic. During all these years he was Re- 
gent of the University of the State, and subsequently be- 
came its Chancellor. 

His wife dying, he married again, his second wife being 
Cornelia Paterson, daughter of Judge William Paterson, 
of the Supreme Court, who had also been Governor of New 
Jersey and one of its first two Senators. 

In 1824 he established, and in 1826 incorporated, the first 
scientific school in the New World, and he defrayed fully 
one-half its current expenses. His own words, which he 
put in the charter, show how far he was ahead of the times : 
"A school to c[ualify teachers to instruct in the application 
of experimental chemistry, philosophy and natural history, 
to agriculture, domestic economy and to the arts and manu- 
factures." This school, now known as the Rensselaer Poly- 
technic Institute of Troy, will always be a memorial to^ the 
philanthropy, far-sightedness, and statesmanship of its 
founder. In 1825, Yale conferred upon him the degree of 
LL.D. 

Stephen Van Rensselaer III left twelve children, three by 
his first and nine by his second wife. Of these, Stephen 
Van Rensselaer IV, usually referred to as the Young Pa- 
troon, was the eldest. To him had descended the bulk of the 
great Van Rensselaer estate or plantation, and by him, 
through political causes, it was dissipated forever. Al- 
though his father was legally the last of the patroons, yet 
the people of his time, by common consent, gave him that 
title, and as such he will go down to history. 

5 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

The father of the future Rev. Henry Van Rensselaer was 
General Henry Van Rensselaer, brother of Stephen IV, and 
fifth son of Stephen HI. He, too, holds a distinguished 
place in the civil and military history of his time. A grad- 
uate of West Point in 1827, he served later as lieutenant in 
the United States Army. In 1841 he was sent to Congress, 
and during the Civil War he held the rank of Colonel while 
Chief of Staff to General Scott, upon whose retirement, in 
November, 1861, he was made Inspector General of the 
United States Army. He died of typhoid fever just before 
the close of the war. The following sketch appeared in a 
New York paper shortly after his death : — 

"Colonel Henry Van Rensselaer, Inspector General of 
the United States Army, died on Wednesday, March 23d, 
of typhoid fever, at Cincinnati, where he was stationed. 

"Colonel Van Rensselaer was graduated from the Mili- 
tary Academy at West Point in 1831, having passed through 
the four years' discipline of that school without incurring a 
single demerit. This fact indicates the character of the 
man — an ever-present sense of duty, which would not per- 
mit the neglect of an obligation once assumed. Thoiigh 
young when entering the Academy, he formed and held res- 
olutely tO' the purpose of complying in all respects, as far 
as possible, with its requirements. The writer dwells the 
more upon this rare trait of character, for that he had a son 
at the Military Academy at the time, whose good fortune it 
was to become the room-mate of Colonel Van Rensselaer, 
and who there acquired from his example that love of order, 
that diligence of application, that fidelity to the. most mi- 
nute as well as the more important details of duty, which go 
so far to make up the character of a useful and trustworthy 

G 



Ancestry and family 

man, whether soldier or citizen. Mr. Van Rensselaer did 
not remain long in the Army, and having married in 1833 a 
daughter of Hon. J. A. King, of Jamaica, L. I., he went to 
take possession of a patrimonial landed estate in St. Law- 
rence County, where he spent many years in the active pur- 
suits of agriculture, and dispensing a liberal and elegant 
hospitality. 

''In 1841 he was elected a member of the House of Repre- 
sentatives from his district, and served with his accustomed 
punctuality and diligence through the three sessions of the 
27th Congress. Political life, however, had few attractions 
for himi, and he returned willingly to his home and his ac- 
customed occupations. 

''For some years past, however, and as his family grew 
up, Mr. Van Rensselaer had been an inhabitant of this city, 
where the outbreak of the Rebellion found him in quiet and 
retired private life. But when the Rebel cannon against 
Fort Sumter aroused our Northern blood and national fidel- 
ity, true to his early training as a soldier, and tO' his instincts 
as a patriot, he at once wrote to General Scott, then in com- 
mand of our forces, to ask for an opportunity, as a soldier 
educated by the Nation, to strike a blow for the national 
cause. The General immediately sent for him to Washing- 
ton, took him into his military family, and with the rank of 
Brigadier-General, made him chief of his staff. 

"Of this position he faithfully and intelligently discharged 
the duties until the relinquishment by General Scott, under 
the pressure of physical infirmities, of his hig'h command. 
Upon the recommendation of his general, however, the 
commission of inspector-general in the Regular Army, with 
the rank of colonel, was at once conferred by the Presi- 
dent upon Colonel Van Rensselaer. In the duties of that 

7 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

post he has ever since been assiduously engaged, and to them 
he, in fact, yielded up liis life — refusing, though laboring 
under illness, to ask for a furlough — while the official calls 
upon him were urgent. 

''The insidious disease made rapid progress. Informed of 
his serious illness — yet not apprehending imminent danger, 
his wife and daughter hurried to Cincinnati, but only had 
the consolation of ministering by his dying bed. 

"He was aware of his approaching death, and prepared 
for it as a Christian soldier. In his last delirious moments 
his mind still ran upon his public duties — upon the condition 
of the troops — upon the progress of the war — and he died 
in the cause of his country, an earnest and unblemished 
soldier." 

A summary of his life and services, in Father Van Rens- 
selaer's handwriting, is preserved among the family papers. 
It reads like a page taken from the records of the Military 
Academy at West Point. 

U. S. Military Academy. 

NUMBER CLASS RANK 

648. Born N. Y. Henry Van Rensselaer. Ap'd N. Y. 20 
Military History. — Cadet at the U. S. Military Academy, 
from July 1, 1827, to July 1, 1831, wlien he was gradu- 
ated and promoted in the Army to 

Bvt. Second Lieut., 5th Infantry, July 1, 1831. On 
leave of absence July 1, 1831, to Jan. 27,' 1832. 
Resigned Jan. 27, 1832. 
Civil History. — Farmer, near Ogdensburg, N. Y., 1834-55. 
Aide-de-Camp with the rank of Colonel to Governor 
Seward, of New York, 1839-40. 

8 




COL. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 




ANCESTRY AND FAMILY 



Member of the U. S. House of Representatives, from 
the State of New York, 1841-43. 

President of the American Mineral Company — of the 
Port Henry Iron Ore Company — and of the ConsoHdated 
FrankHnite Company, 1855-60. 
Military History. — Served during the Rebelhon of the Se- 
ceding States, 18G1-G4: as Volunteer Aide-de-Camp, with 
the rank of Colonel, April 29 to Aug. 5, 1861, and as 
Regular Aide-de-Camp, Aug. 5, 1861, to Nov. 1, 1861. 

(Col. Staff — Aide-de-Camp to the General-in-Chief, 
Aug. 5, 1861.) 

Bvt. Lieut., General Scott; General-in-Chief, at the 
Headquarters of the Army, Washington, D. C. ; on leave 
of absence and awaiting orders, Nov. 12. 

(Colonel Staff — Inspector General, Nov. 12, 1861.) 

1861, to Mar. 20, 1862— as Inspector General, 1st 
Army Corps. 

Mar. 20 to Apl. 4, 1862 — Department of the Rappa- 
hannock. 

Apl. 4, to Aug. 12, 1862— 3d Army Corps, Aug. 12 to 
Sept. 6, 1862, and Department of the Ohio, Sept. 17, 
1862, to Mar. 23, 1864. 

Died Mar. 23, 1864, at Cincinnati, O. Aged 64. 

Among the family treasures is an autograph letter ad- 
dressed by General Scott on his retirement from the Army 
to his Chief of Staff. It reads as follows : 

''Adieu, my dear Colonel Van Rensselaer. No general 
has ever had greater cause to be proud of his staff than I 
have had in you and my other dear friends. Colonels Town- 
send, Hamilton, Cullen and Wright — all dear friends. 

''Nov. 9, 1861. WiNFiELD Scott." 

9 



LIFE OF H'ENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

If he was beholden to his father for his name, and for the 
prestige which, even in America, despite the open profession 
of democracy, attaches to descent from one of the great 
Colonial families, Father Van Rensselaer was under still 
greater indebtedness to his mother, Elizabeth King Van 
Rensselaer, for the kindly traits which were so character- 
istic of him from his earliest years, and which became more 
manifest in his apostolic work as a priest when he was 
brought into contact with the poverty-stricken and the un- 
fortunate. 

The founder of the King family in America, John King, 
came from Kent, England, and settled in Boston in 1700. 
Later the family moved to Scarborough, Maine, where Fa- 
ther Van Rensselaer's great grandfather, Rufus King, was 
born in 1755. Graduating from Harvard in 1777, he studied 
law and was admitted to the bar in 1784. He was elected to 
the Continental Congress and took a prominent part in the 
convention which in 1787 framed the Constitution of the 
United States . While in New York he married Mary Alsop, 
the only daughter of a prominent New York merchant, and 
for his wife's sake determined to live near her father. 

He became a Senator of the United States in 1789, the 
first Senator elected from the State of New York, was re- 
elected in 1795, and in the following year was by President 
Washington appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Great 
Britain. 

Besides the distinction oi being three times elected to the 
Senate of the United States, and being twice appointed as 
Minister to England, he was at various times the candidate 
of his party for the Governorship of New York, as well 
as for the Vice-Presidency and Presidency of the Nation ; 
and although he failed of election to these high offices he 

10 



ANCESTRY AXD FAMILY 

was always regarded as one of the ablest statesmen and 
diplomats of liis time. Even his political opponents had 
such respect for his moral worth and integrity that they 
made him their candidate for the Senatorial dignity, when 
his own party could not have effected his election. 

John Alsop King, eldest son of Rufus, and grandfather 
of Henry Van Rensselaer, was a native of New York City, 
where he was born in 1788. During his youth he accom- 
panied his father to England when the latter was Minister 
to the Court of St. James, and while there attended school 
at Harrow. Among his schoolmates were his brother 
Charles, afterwards president of Columbia College, New 
York, Lord Byron, Sir Robert Peel and other men of prom- 
inence. 

He held the rank of Lieutenant during the war of 1812, 
and in 1825 was Secretary of Legation at London under 
his father. He was several times elected to the State Legis- 
lature, was a member of Congress in 1849-51, and Governor 
of the State in 1857-59. At the expiration of his term, he 
returned to his home, in the village of Jamaica, Long Island, 
where he died July 8, 1867, in his 80th year. John Alsop 
King filled these many official positions with credit to him- 
self and honor to his country, and during his long career 
never failed to present to his fellow citizens, alike in his 
public and private life, a rare example of benevolence and 
manly virtue. 



11 



CHAPTER 11. 
Boyhood and Early Life. 

HENRY VAN RENSSELAER, the future Jesuit, 
youngest but one of ten children, was born at Wood- 
ford, near Ogdensburg, October 21, 1851. His mother, 
Ehzabeth Ray King, was the daughter of the Governor 
King mentioned in the last chapter. His father, General 
Van Rensselaer, was the fifth son of the last patroon, 
Stephen HI, who by his will divided the vast estate among 
his children, bequeathing to the eldest, Stephen IV, the 
manor on the Albany side of the Hudson, and to the fifth 
the wild lands in St. Lawrence County on the river of that 
name. 

In this remote domain were valuable farm lands in the 
townships of Lisbon, Canton, etc., and the county seat, 
Woodford, which was on high ground overlooking the 
river. There was a large old-fashioiied garden, with green- 
houses, graperies and an extensive farm . The old colonial 
house had been enlarged shortly before Henry's birth, and 
a billiard room and a ballroom- were added for the entertain- 
ment of summer guests and of the townspeople, who were 
always welcome visitors to the Van Rensselaer homestead. 
It was an ideal home, and above all a Christian home, where 
each day was opened with family prayers, and Sunday was 
honored with the strictest observance. Mrs. Van Rensse- 
laer was the Lady Bountiful of tlie neighborhood, ever 
ready to listen to and relieve the wants of the poor. Indeed, 
during her entire life, even when it was no longer in her 

12 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE 

power, to give g-enerously, she never permitted a poor person 
to be sent unaided from her door. This tender love for 
God's poor, inherited from her, was a most striking trait in 
the character of her Jesuit son. 

Mrs. Van Rensselaer's responsibility in rearing her large 
family was lightened by the devoted assistance of a nurse 
who entered her service in 1843 and remained a valued 
member of the household until her death in 1899. Monica 
Chapman was an Englishwoman of great native refinement. 
A devout Catholic, she never, by any attempt to influence 
the faith of her children, betrayed the perfect trust reposed 
in her by her Protestant mistress. She held each in her 
arms when they were presented for baptism in the Protestant 
Episcopal church, and was faithful in seeing that they re- 
cited morning and evening the little prayers taught them by 
their mother. In after years, when he had found the true 
faith and was enrolled as a member of the Society of Jesus, 
Father Van Rensselaer, in conversation with intimate 
friends, would frequently speak of Monica, her piety, her 
devout recital of the Rosary and the religious influence 
she exercised, albeit unwittingly, in the family. He had no 
hesitation in ascribing to her prayers and to her example 
the special grace which led him eventually to seek refuge in 
the true fold. 

When the family moved to New York City, Monica be- 
came a member of St. Francis Xavier's parish, where, forty- 
four years later, her Requiem Mass was sung by the one of 
her charges who had been most dear to her, and for whose 
conversion many IMasses and prayers had been offered in 
that church. Before giving the absolution. Father Van 
Rensselaer paid a touching tribute to the virtue and fidelity 
of his beloAxd nurse. 

- la • -- 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

When he was four years old, the family came to New 
York City to pass the winter months. Shortly after their 
departure from Woodford their country home was de- 
stroyed by fire, and was never rebuilt. His childhood was 
uneventful, except that in addition to the usual diseases of 
children, he had an attack of scarlet fever which threatened 
his life and left him of a rather nervous temperament and 
delicate constitution. 

When he was twelve years old his father died. To this 
calamity were added serious financial reverses owing to mis- 
management or dishonesty on the part of a trusted agent, 
and it became incumbent upon the boys of the family to 
provide for their own temporal welfare as well as for that 
of those dependent upon them. Henry had received his 
early education at the Charlier Institute, and entered Colum- 
bia College in 1867 ; he did not remain to graduate, but 
took a clerical position in the Bank of Commerce in 1869. 

He w^as of a religious turn of mind, and from his tender- 
est years felt an attraction for church services. 

"As a boy," he says, "I attended Grace Church, then, 
as now, very fashionable. But in those days it was of the 
extremely Low Church type. The service was dull, except 
for the singing by a celebrated quartet. The minister, ar- 
rayed in black silk gown and Geneva bands, preached, in 
an almost unintelligible voice, ponderous and somnolent ser- 
mons, duly read from a manuscript. In my teens I longed 
for a more active part in the service, and was attracted 
to the Church of the Holy Communion, founded by Dr. 
Muhlenberg, where there was a choir of men and boys to 
lead the singing, in which the whole congregation took part. 
It had, in consequence, the name of being ''High," but there 
was not much advance in doctrine. True, there was an early 

14 



I 



ooooooopo 




HENRY VAN RENSSELAER IN BOYHOOD 



BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE 

Communion service, but it was rather for convenience than 
for high teaching. However, I was on the rise and began 
the practice of bowing the head at the Gloria Patri, and then 
of kneehng in the Nicene Creed at the Incarnatits. I re- 
member distinctly that those who did so were publicly re- 
buked on Christmas morning by Dr. Muhlenberg for bow- 
ing at the doxology, and we were bidden not to bend like 
bulrushes, but to hold our heads erect. My first notice of 
candles on an altar was in this church. They were used 
tor light at the early morning celebration, and once a year, 
on the feast of the Epiphany, at the evening missionary 
service, there were thirty-nine candles lighted in honor 
of the thirty-nine articles of religion, w^hich the Ritualists 
slightingly called the forty stripes save one mentioned by 
St. Paul. In this church I was confirmed, and of it I was 
a member for over ten years. Then I began to feel the 
need of something more Catholic. The doctrines preached 
in Trinity parish, especially at Trinity Church and Trinity 
Chapel, were in those days considered high. The rector, 
at that time a celibate, was an advocate of celibacy and 
virginity. The music was from Catholic sources, and 
masses by celebrated composers were adapted to the Com- 
munion service. Great stress was laid on the teaching of 
the undivided Church and of the four Ecumenical Councils. 

''The first ritualistic church in New York was St. Alban's.- 
The naming of it was significant. It was meant to insinu- 
ate the continuity with the ancient British Church, of which 
St. Alban was the first martyr. Moreover its namesake in 
London had been the leader in ritualism and the storm- 
centre of opposition of the officials of the State Church. 

"St. Alban's on this side of the water was an exact imita- 
tion of a Catholic church. The minister dubbed himself 

15 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

'father' and donned the habiliments of a priest. It was a 
novelty, and sightseers frequented the services. The Church 
of St. Mary the Virgin was the next to follow suit, and 
offered all the attractions of Rome without being Roman. 
St. Ignatius' was the next in the field, with rival novelties 
from Rome. These were all full-blown ritualistic churches. 
There were others tending upward — an unintentional tribute 
to the true church, any tendency to which is truly described 
as becoming high. 

"But ritualism had as yet no charm for me, and I recall 
my disgust at a visit to the Oratory of the Blessed Sacra- 
ment, which had been opened by an English clergyman of 
the advanced type, who later became a convert and a priest. 
Nor had St. Alban's any attractive power, and attendance 
at one service sufficed for me; neither could I abide St. 
Mary the Virgin's." 



16 



CHAPTER III. 
General Theological Seminary, New York. 

IT had always been the wish of his family that Henry 
should be a clergyman, but, as we have said, the family 
circumstances had to be considered. So, on leaving college, 
he went into business. This was not his calling, though he 
persevered in it for several years. After this, however, he 
announced his intention of going to the seminary. It was in 
the autumn of 1873 that he took up his residence in one of 
the old granite buildings in the grounds of the General 
Theological Seminary at Chelsea Square. Here he found a 
wide divergence of views and practices among the pro- 
fessors and students alike. The following is his account of 
the conditions then existing in the seminary : — 

''There were at that time seventy seminarians, and, I 
think, six professors. Both professors and seminarians rep- 
resented every shade of belief tolerated by that most elastic 
of sects. The dean, who was professor of Ecclesiastical 
History, passed for a very advanced churchman. The pro- 
fessor of Dogmatic Theology was high and dry. The pro- 
fessor of New Testament Exegesis was safely high. The 
professor of Hebrew hobnobbed with Ritualists. The pro- 
fessor of Canon Law was a moderate churchman of the dry 
type, while the professor of Pastoral Theology was an old- 
fashioned low churchman, dry as dust. Could a more com- 
posite set of churchmen be imagined? A truly 'happy 
family' collection." 

The seminarians presented the same pleasing variety of 

17 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

religious opinions. No two agreed exactly, and why should 
they agree when their instructors set the example of dis- 
agreeing? After all, was it not the logical Protestant posi- 
tion, the exercise of the claimed inherent right of private 
judgment? Naturally he was at once called upon to declare 
his own views; and he was ranked among the very high 
churchmen. ''But," he says, ''I could not go all the lengths 
to which a few went. Excessive bowing of the head, 
crooking of the knees, and signs of the cross, extravagant in 
size, seemed to me too conspicuous. The ultra-high church- 
men affected the wearing of a clerical vest with neither open- 
ing nor buttons down the front, which was yclept the 'mark 
of the Beast,' and was supposed to be intensely Roman. 
Strange to say, no 'Roman' priest was ever- known to wear 
a waistcoat so constructed. Another very Romanizing sign 
was to pronounce amen, 'ahmen,' though such a pronuncia- 
tion is unknown to the real Roman except in Latin." 

He narrates with some detail the daily life in the Semi- 
nary : — 

"As I had a rather large room with two smaller ones off 
it, I took one of the smaller rooms for an oratory. The 
other small one was a bedroom and the large one a study. 
The oratory was simplicity itself, for its furniture was a 
prie-dieu before a statuette of the Good Shepherd, on either 
side of which was a candlestick, holding candles to be lighted 
for devotions. To this oratory a few choice spirits resorted 
occasionally after class and at night. I had not yet ad- 
vanced sufficiently to have a crucifix. 

"The students took their meals in common, and I shall 
never forget the day when, at dinner, the news was circu- 
lated that the rector of Trinity Church, the advocate and 
model of celibacy, was engaeed to be married. And what 

18 



GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 

made it worse was that the lady was a Presbyterian! 
Imagine the shock to the admirers of ceHbacy ! It was said 
that a rehgious congregation of women, of which he had 
been the confessor and a great friend, had, in their indigna- 
tion, turned his portrait with its face to the wall. The idol 
was found to be only flesh and blood. The effect of the de- 
fection of the leader was diverse. Some students changed 
their minds like him, and declared that they had given up 
the intention of being celibates. Others said, T told you so' ; 
while still others, of whom I was one, remained faithful to 
their conviction that the unmarried clergyman, having no 
family to divide his attention, could give an undivided 
service to God and the flock committed to his care. Per- 
haps, with a view of encouraging matrimony among the 
seminarians, there were soirees at the dean's house, where 
susceptible and unwary youths might lose their hearts, and 
where, in fact, the fate of several was thus settled in favor 
of the married state." 

If so much latitude in doctrine is allowed to the various 
divisions that make up the Episcopalian body without im- 
periling their orthodoxy, it will be interesting to know 
what questions are asked and what answ^ers must be given 
that a student may acquit himself with credit before an ex- 
amining board. Van Rensselaer lets the cat out of the bag. 
"Examinations were a curious thing at the seminary. 
The examiners adapted themselves marvelously to the ex- 
amined. Every candidate's grade of churchmanship was 
! pretty well known to the examiners, who dexterously put 
i questions suitable to the religious convictions of those ex- 
! amined. No matter how unorthodox a man might be, the 
very obliging examiners were careful to avoid the crucial 
(|uestions and to elicit onlv statements that would not shock 

19 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the broad sensibilities of the examining board and students 
present." 

One of the events of seminar}^ Hfe he recalls was the oc- 
casional visits of a Cowley Father from Boston to hear con- 
fessions, and Van Rensselaer was one of the confessed. 
The acquaintance thus made with the mysterious visitor, 
who came in cassock, cloak and broad hat, had an impor- 
tant influence on his after life. 

Though a pronounced high churchman himself, his par- 
ticular friends were taken from all grades of churchman- 
ship. "One of them Avas really a Rationalist, but a charm- 
ing man. One, now a bishop, was low church, while an- 
other, also a bishop, was broad. Two others were very 
high, while still another was evangelical."- Yet withal, in 
spite of theological differences of opinion, they were very 
good friends. 

During the summer vacation in his first year he made a 
trip to Europe, which tended to broaden his views consid- 
erably. "According to the theory generally accepted by 
us," he says, "it was positively wrong for Anglicans to at- 
tend 'Roman' services in English-speaking countries, so in 
England I visited only churches of the Established Religion. 
As this rule did not hold for the continent, I felt no com- 
punction in going to the celebrated Catholic churches, al- 
though I was particular in being present at service in the 
American chapels, however bald and cold that service was, 
and baldness and coldness were the prevalent qualities." 

Although only a seminarian, he had verv decided ideas 
about the propriety of clergymen going to the opera and 
theatre, and as he had assumed the clerical collar, he con- 
sidered himself a cleric. His principle in this regard was 
put to a severe test at Munich. A monster Wagner festival 

20 



GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 

was being held, and he loved music. His inclination was 
in favor of going, he was urged by fellow-travelers to go, 
but he made the sacrifice and did not go. In Paris he had 
met several of the seminarians who were "doing" the sights, 
as they told him they had just been "doing" London. He 
expostulated. They defended themselves on the plea of 
gaining experience for future use in the ministry. "Pitch," 
he said, "would leave its mark, and what was unbecoming 
in New York could not be becoming in Paris and London. 
They went their way, and I went mine." 

He could not help contrasting the cathedrals, still sacred 
to Catholic worship on the continent, with those shorn of 
their ancient glory in England and Scotland. "Notre Dame 
of Paris and the Dom of Cologne," he writes, "were in- 
stinct with devotion, and the most inspiring music I ever 
heard was that of a vast congregation at Mass one Sunday 
in the Cologne Cathedral. My blood boiled at the desecra- 
tion of the historic Cathedral at Basle and its tenure by 
Calvinists, just as it had boiled in poor St. Giles' in Edin- 
burgh, divided in two for two Protestant sects — Presby- 
terian and Episcopalian." 

The extensive trip through Europe enabled him to culti- 
vate his taste for the fine arts by studying the world's mas- 
terpieces stored in the great museums and galleries. He 
journeyed all the way to Dresden solely to gaze upon 
Raphael's chef-d'oeuvre, the Sistine Madonna, and he felt 
that, even had ther€ been no other treasures of art in that 
wonderful collection, it was well worth the journey. What 
impressed him in all the great collections was the prepon- 
derance of subjects taken from the lives of Christ, His 
mother, and the saints. "What a superb testimony," he 
mused, "to the faith of the Catholic world before the great 

21 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

revolt of the sixteenth century, which cast a Wight for so 
long on Christian art, from which it has only in the last 
century partially recovered !" 

In spite of warnings not to venture further south in Italy 
than Venice and Florence in early September, he decided 
to risk it. He made a hurried trip to Rome, and even to 
Naples. ''Multum in parvo/' he says, "would describe the 
amount of sightseeing I accomplished in a minimum of 
time. I realized that it was dangerous to rush about a 
r awiericaine ^ but then it might be my only chance, though 
I did not neglect to throw a coin in the famous fountain of 
Trevi, which is supposed to insure a return to the Eternal 
City, which in my case proved true. I recall perfectly one 
night, when I had that day dared Providence by going from 
the heat of the streets tO' the chill of buildings for hours, 
that I felt in danger of the fever, and for the first time 
made the sign of the cross with a prayer for safety. With 
that start the holy sign of our salvation became a familiar 
action. I can honestly say, however, that I had not the 
least attraction to Catholicism, as such, at that time. But 
undoubtedly the leaven was working. I know that I was 
disgusted with a cicerone who, to ingratiate himself, spoke 
slightingly of his religion." 

''The motive of my European trip," he admits, "was 
rather artistic than religious, arid so the art galleries claimed 
my chief attention, though, as I have already said, the 
world's most famous pictures portray the great mysteries of 
our faith and insensibly awaken our religious emotions." 

While at Florence he had failed to- visit the convent of 
San Marco, where Era Angelico had exercised his matchless 
art in limning on the walls of the cells those ethereal spirits 
of another world in their ministry to the Incarnate Word 

22 



GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 

and His mother. He resolved at Naples to make good this 
omission, and returned to Florence via Leghorn and Pisa 
on a flying visit. He considered himself well repaid by the 
sight of the angelic Brother's exquisite productions. 

He was much annoyed at Turin to find the banks closed 
on a weekday that was not on the Protestant Episcopal cal- 
endar as a feast-day. It was the 8th of September, the 
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a holy day of 
obligation at that time in Italy. His funds were low, and 
he had expected to draw on his letter of credit at the bank. 
His time was very limited, as he had to return to America 
towards the end of the month. Fortunately there were at 
the hotel some very genial English officers, returning from 
India, who, on hearing of his plight, volunteered to advance 
him, though he was a perfect stranger to them, all the 
money he needed. When he reached London he failed to 
meet these true friends in need, but acquitted himself of his 
obligation to them. 

All good things come to an end, and so did the trip to 
Europe. Seminary life was resumed. Henry's ideas had 
broadened, but he was not conscious of any trend Rome- 
ward. The second year was uneventful. 'The various 
professors," he says, "still taught their varied doctrines, 
and the students still drew their own conclusions. The 
professor of ecclesiastical history enlightened us on St. 
Patrick's Day with a lengthy disquisition to prove that St. 
Patrick, besides being a gentleman, was a Protestant and — 
an Anglican !" 



23 



CHAPTER IV. 
Germany and Oxford. 

AT the close of the second year, our young seminarian 
grew tired of the very prosaic Hfe at the seminary 
and resolved tO' spend the third year of preparation for holy 
orders in the university city of Oxford. For this he had to 
obtain leave from the bishop, the Right Rev. Horatio Pot- 
ter. Although he was an old personal friend of the Van 
Rensselaer family, he did not favor the project, but for lack 
of authority could not forbid it. Henry speaks amusingly 
of his visit to the bishop on this occasion, though it ended 
rather awkwardly for the visitor. 'The bishop," he says, 
''was extremely tall, very thin and rather severe looking. 
According to my advanced schooling, the correct thing on 
taking leave of your bishop was to kneel and ask his bless- 
ing, since there was no ring to kiss. The bishop lived in an 
English basement house, and he received me on the second 
floor. My leave-taking was at the head of the staircase, 
and I narrowly escaped being helped down the flight when 
I knelt for the blessing. I then and there resolved to choose 
a safe place before again asking an episcopal blessing." 

Henry carried out his intention and sailed in June, 1875, 
for Europe. One of his fellow-students, who had formed 
the same plan as himself, preceded him by a couple of weeks. 
Their rendezvous was to be in Hanover, where they were 
to study German during the vacation. 

"My landing in Holland, the country of my forefathers, 
will never be forgotten. It is usual to uncover one's head 

24 



GERMANY AND OXFORD 

in token of respect. In this instance I was spared the act, 
as shortly before landing at Rotterdam my only hat dis- 
appeared from the cabin table, on which I had confidingly 
placed it. Perhaps it was taken as an American cnrio. The 
result was extremely embarrassing to me and entirely 
marred my first impression of the land of my forefathers. 
So disheartened was I, that I took the first train to Han- 
over, where my friend awaited me. 

He had secured board and lodging in the family of an 
ex-Hanoverian major, who, in consequence, was a cordial 
hater of the usurping king of Prussia and a most loyal ad- 
herent of the old blind ex-king. The household consisted 
of the major, his wife and daughter, a forward damsel of 
sixteen. "We were really overpowered with their constant 
attention. And the German cooking! No disputing about 
tastes ! We made progress in learning German, but at what 
costs ! We were always en famille. We could not stir out 
of doors unless accompanied, usually by the three. We had 
to resort to artifices. Sunday we declared exempt from 
company, as we had religious scruples on the subject. Then 
we discovered that there were two concert gardens, both 
high-grade. They recommended the Odeon and accom- 
panied us there. In an unwary moment they disclosed the 
fact that the rival Tivoli was the resort of the hated Prus- 
sian garrison officers, and consecjuently was tabooed by all 
loyal Hanoverians. This threw the extra weight in the scale 
of Tivoli. We decided that the music at Tivoli was superior, 
and we forsook the Odeon and were freed from the com- 
pany of the family on those evenings at least. The good- 
natured, motherly, fat Frau Majorin Candau got us a terri- 
ble scolding from the Herr Major for once, in our simplic- 
ity, speaking of her to him as the Majorin without prefixing 

25 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Frau. I was a great lover of flowering plants. She had 
placed some flower-pots on our window-sill. Now the win- 
dow was in the third story, and, though in Germany, it 
was a French window. One day, when the wind was high, 
we went out for a walk and left the window open. When 
we returned, our reception was frigid in the extreme. The 
chill was caused by the blowing down of a flower-pot, for 
which we were held guilty. When it occurred, shortly after, 
a second time, our guilt was so evident, and our malice so 
prepense, that for a while they would not speak to us. We 
went out and bought a beautiful china jardiniere with lovely 
growing flowers. The peace-offering was accepted with 
profuse expressions of admiration for the gift and astonish- 
ment at our extravagance. However, we were tired of the 
uncertain temper of the toothless major, whose toothsome 
Hamburger steak was sometimes surreptitiously taken by us 
at table, instead of the tougher meat served on the same 
dish. We were tired of the pert Fraulein MoUie; tired even 
of the kind-hearted, but oppressive Majorin; but above all, 
tired of the irascible major. We decided that a trip to Ber- 
lin, Dresden, the Saxon Switzerland, Baden-Baden and 
other places of interest would be preferable to a longer so- 
journ in Hanover — the dullest of dull towns, although its 
inhabitants claim the purest pronunciation of German." 

The summer on the Continent helped tO' moderate the de- 
cidedly puritanical views Van Rensselaer had entertained on 
the subject of Sunday observance. He had been brought 
up in the most rigid manner. As a child no toys, no play- 
things, no games, and no secular story books or music were 
ever allowed. The day was devoted to church-going, cate- 
chism, learning texts and c^^apters of the Bible, reading 
goody-goody books and singing hymns. It would have 

26 



GERMANY AND OXFORD 

been considered an awful breach to sing a ballad or read a 
novel, however standard it might be. Amusements of all 
kinds were prohibited. Baseball or sports of athletic nature 
were under the ban. "Imagine," he says, "what a con- 
trast to all this a 'Continental' Sunday is ! I was not con- 
verted to the latter, but an impression was made less an- 
tipathetic." 

It so happened that during his stay in Germany the last 
of the conferences at Bonn on the Rhine was about to be 
held. It was a chance, and he embraced it. We cannot help 
being grateful for the interesting though brief account given 
by the observant American: 

"There were present representatives of the Church of 
England, the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Lutherans, 
Old Catholics and Greeks — a motley collection. The lan- 
guage at the morning session was German ; in the afternoon 
English was spoken. Dr. Dollinger, leader of the so-called 
Old-Catholic schism, was the chief speaker. The supposed 
machinations of the Jesuits seemed to be his piece-de-resis- 
tance ^ and on this he harped! The Greeks, though repre- 
sented, held themselves aloof, and would not join in any 
religious exercise with the others. Of course, they soon 
discovered that many fundamental doctrines held by them 
were rejected by the Protestants. The result was — what 
might have been predicted — nothing. One novel bit of in- 
formation was furnished by the Anglican Bishop of Gib- 
raltar. He informed us that he had jurisdiction over all 
southern Europe, and that, consequently, Rome was in his 
rather extensive diocese. Was Pius IX his suffragan ? He 
did not vouchsafe to tell us who had granted him juris- 
diction. Did southern Europe belong to the Province of 
Canterbury? How about the time-honored triple branch 

27 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

theory ? But . we must not look for consistency in such 
difficult questions." 

For all that, Henry in a letter written at the time, and 
with the impression still vivid in his mind, declared that 
"Dr. DoUing-er's closing address, in which he traced the 
rise and growth of the Papacy, was better than a course of 
lectures." 

While at Bonn he made the acquaintance of the celebrated 
English preacher, Canon Liddon, of St. Paul's Cathedral, 
London, who was present at the conference. This was 
really fortunate, for it provided him with a friend to intro- 
duce him to the Dons at Oxford, of which university Dr. 
Liddon was a professor. 

To Oxford, then, he went in the fall of 1875, his friend 
and fellow-student from the General Theological Seminary 
accompanying him. As they intended to spend only a year 
there, they thought it useless to attach themselves to any 
of the colleges, so they were what is known as unattached, 
or students-at-large, "a very suitable condition," he ob- 
serves, "for young Americans." 

They had charming rooms in a little house on the Iffley 
Road, in front of which was the broad, level stretch of 
Christ Church Meadows. The Convent of the Cowley 
Fathers, as they are commonly called, was quite near. 
Thither Van Rensselaer went every morning and evening, 
mingled with the "Fathers," and was much impressed by 
their austerity. Indeed, it is surprising that he was not 
at this time formally received into their community. 

The Cowley Fathers are not unknown in America. They 
have at least two churches in the United States, the "Old" 
Advent in Boston and St. Clement's in Philadelphia. As 
Van Rensselaer saw so much of them at Oxford, a short 

28 



GERMANS AND OXFORD 

account of this community from his pen, with characteristic 
comments, may be of interest : 

"The Convent of the Cowley Fathers was founded by 
Father Benson, who was a fellow of Christ Church, I be- 
lieve, and an Anglican minister. He was a man of large 
fortune, which he spent in building the monastery, in sup- 
porting the brethren, and in charitable works. Personally 
he was unprepossessing, carried his head always on one side, 
was usually unkempt and untidy. He was certainly pious 
in his own way, and self-sacrificing. He preached with 
great earnestness, but in a very nasal tone. The title of 
the community was Society of St. John Evangelist, and the 
Fathers were consequently S.S.J.E., not unlike the Jesuits, 
who are S.J. Moreover, fhey followed the exact rule of the 
Society of Jesus, but in an exaggerated way, and wore in 
different material the dress usually worn by the Jesuits in 
Europe : a cassock with girdle, a long cloak and broad- 
brimmed hat. ' They made themselves very conspicuous by 
appearing in public streets, in railway cars and on steam- 
ships, in full costume, to the astonishment of most behold- 
ers. As I have already hinted, they recite daily the Brevi- 
a^^^ but in English. The Jesuits make an annual eight-day 
retreat, and twice in their relig-ious lives a thirty-day retreat 
preparatory to their first and last vows. Their imitators, 
like most imitators, overdo the originals by prescribing a 
yearly retreat of thirty days. In other matters the same 
spirit of exaggeration manifests itself. Although only a 
score or so in number, they scour the world, preaching, 
giving retreats and hearing confessions. From whom 
they get this universal mission and jurisdiction is so pro- 
found a myster}^ that not even they themiselves pretend 
to or-ive a solution. Tn fact, these two matters, mission and 

29 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

jurisdiction, are quietly ignored. If any explanation is in- 
sisted upon, these powers are claimed to be received in 
ordination. Now, supposing that Anglican Orders were 
valid, which we do not admit, they would only confer the 
powers of the priesthood radically, and for their exercise 
the further power of mission and jurisdiction are required. 
We might give an example from the army and navy. A 
man may receive the appointment of a captaincy. The 
appointing gives the rank, but the exercise of the duty 
requires the further designation of the regiment and the 
company. Furthermore, a captain assigned to a company 
in one regiment may not lawfully exercise authority as 
captain of a company in another. So a priest requires, be- 
sides the powers received in the sacrament of Holy Orders, 
faculties from his ordinary, the bishop oi the diocese, for 
the exercise of those powers. The priest is appointed over 
a certain parish or mission by his bishop, and over it he 
has jurisdiction, but he may not rove around outside of his 
own limits and perform priestly acts. 

"So strict is the discipline of the Church that a priest in 
good standing in his own diocese, for instance. New York, 
could not pass over the ferry tO' New Jersey or Long Island 
and exercise his ministry without the permission and appro- 
bation O'f the Bishop of Newark or of Brooklyn. For uni- 
versal ministry there must be a universal mission and juris- 
diction, which belongs to the Apostolic See alone. Hence in 
the Catholic Church the Pope exercises this universal au- 
thority over the whole flock of Christ, and designates, or at 
least approves, the erection of dioceses, of vicariates apos- 
tolic and their incumbents. Compare the perfect order and 
discipline in the Church with the go-as-you-please methods' 
among Protestant ministers.'' 

30 



GERMANY AND OXFORD 

While at the University of Oxford, Van Rensselaer's re- 
lations with some of the noted men there were of the 
friendliest kind. Chief among these were Canon Liddon 
and Dr. King, late Bisliop of Lincoln. 

"Cannon Liddon," he says, ''gave very profoundly crit- 
ical views on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. His 
exegesis of the Greek was admirable, though extremely 
technical. But it was an education in the art of studying 
the original text." 

The canon was undoubtedly one of the ablest of the 
passing generation of Anglican Churchmen, and a worthy 
successor of the giants of the Oxford movement. Most of 
his sermons have been published and show great erudition, 
particularly in Catholic theology. With him Van Rensse- 
laer was on terms of easy familiarity, which was the occa- 
sion in later life of many pleasant reminiscences. The great 
man impressed him deeply and no doubt had a marked 
influence in shaping his career. He speaks of him always 
with respect, and at times with a glow of enthusiastic ad- 
miration. Thus he tells us : — 

'T used to see a great deal of Canon Liddon. It is 
strange how small incidents leave their impression. One 
day I was invited to lunch with him. To my horror the 
only dish provided was one of sweetbreads. Now I had 
never been able to school myself to eat them,, as I had a 
repulsion for liver, kidneys and things of that ilk. I could 
not disgrace my breeding by refusing the only dish, so I 
conquered my antipathy then and there. He had proposed 
a long walk in the country for that day. I kept the appoint- 
ment, although walking seemed out of the question, as it 
had poured down rain for several days, and the lowlands 
of Oxford were flooded. I never for a moment imagined 

31 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the possibility of a walk under such conditions. But the 
Doctor remarked casually that he supposed I was prepared 
for the walk. 'Do you intend to go?' I asked. 'Certainly,' 
said he, 'I always carry out my plans. Will you go?' Was 
an Englishman to challenge an American and find him 
wanting ? 

" 'Of course I shall go,' I replied, determined not to be 
outdone, though in my mind thinking it perfect folly. So 
the walk was taken, if it could be called a walk. It was 
rather a wade, and in several places we had tO' use rowboats 
as extemporized ferries where the roads were flooded. It 
was a life lesson for me to learn from this successful lec- 
turer and preacher — the determination that overcomes all 
obstacles. Many pleasant and instructive rambles were 
taken in the company of that great man. I attended some 
of his Advent sermons under the dome of St. Paul's, where 
about five thousand persons assembled to hear him, as he 
ranked foremost among the preachers of the Establishment. 
He read his sermons, but so skilfully that one scarcely 
realized it. He had, however, an unpleasant habit of throw- 
ing up his head continually, as if to give greater resonance 
to his voice. And he made such efforts to be heard that, 
he told me, he was exhausted for three days after. He 
was very popular among the students, and was reputed to 
be the spiritual adviser of many of them." 

There was an attempt on Van Rensselaer's part to be- 
come enrolled as a member of Dr. Pusey's class, but he met 
with discomfiture. He records the incident as follows : 

''I rather plumed myself on my knowledge of Hebrew 
at that time, as I had studied it two years in the General 
Theological Seminary. So I paid a visit to Dr. Pusey, who 
enveloped me completely in a wet blanket. He inquired if 

32 



GERMANY AND OXFORD 

I were conversant with Aramaic, Chaldaic, vSyriac, Arabic, 
and I do not recall how many other oriental tongues. On 
my answering- in a very crestfallen way that they were all 
unknown to me, he said that his lectures on Daniel would 
be quite useless, as they presupposed such knowledge. No- 
ticing my drooping spirits, he added encouragingly that I 
might acquire a sufficient acquaintance wath them in two 
years to profit by his class, and that then I might attend. 
He little appreciated the spirit of rush that animates Ameri- 
cans. I was not altogether sorry, as I was not at all drawn 
to the great leader of the Oxford movement. He was not 
prepossessing in appearance or manner, and I wondered 
wherein his influence lay. Nor was I changed in my judg- 
ment when I afterwards heard him preach at St. Mary's, 
the University Church, in all the glory of a doctor's scarlet 
gown." 

Another eminent Oxford Don whose kindness of heart 
always appealed to Van Rensselaer was Dr. King, the pres- 
ent Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Contrasting him with 
Dr. Pusey, he says : — 

"A very different type of man was Dr. King, Canon of 
Christ Church and Regius Professor of Pastoral Theolog}^ 
He lived in Christ Church quadrangle with his mother, a 
dear old lady, and they formed the most charming couple. 
The canon was gentleness and considerateness personified. 
He was not a learned man, but was Avell read, and had a 
heart overflowing with sympathy. He lectured familiarly 
on Liturgies, and endeavored to show that the Book of 
Common Prayer was in full accord with the primitive litur- 
gies. He appeared, however, to best advantage when he 
gatliered a select few of the theological students in a little 
oratorv he liad arranged in the quadrangle. Thither we 

33 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

resorted at night to hear a simple talk from his heart on the 
work of the ministry. He advised the leaving open of the 
clergyman's house-door at night, in order that poor Nico- 
demuses, fearful of being seen by day, might seek counsel 
unseen at night. The advice of the good canon might be 
suitable in paradise, but rather risky in our state of civiliza- 
tion. We were great friends, and I used to go early morn- 
ings to assist him in a sort of mass which was celebrated 
in the quaintest little mediaeval Gothic chapel, attached to 
an old convent then used by the Anglican Sisters of St. 
John Baptist as a reformatory for girls. Dr. King would 
array himself in colored silken vestments, and, at a very 
Catholic-looking altar, with my assistance, perform what 
was called a celebration of the Eucharist. In the early 
morning he was very 'high,' but at noon in the cathedral 
he was quite 'low,' wore the old-fashioned surplice down 
to the heels, and took the northward position at the com- 
munion table, of which the chief ornaments were two huge 
brass alms-basins stood up on edge. I never could exactly 
account for this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde conduct of the 
canon. But he was otherwise so good and lovable." 

The inco-nsistencies in religious worship at Oxford did 
not escape Van Rensselaer's notice and they had a share, no 
doubt, in undermining whatever belief he had in the An- 
glican position. As he observes in his narrative : 

"Many a pre-Reformation custom has survived the 
change of religion, although they have become in most in- 
stances meaningless ; for instance, the bidding prayers in the 
various chapels and in the university church for deceased 
founders and benefactors. Under the Protestant regime 
they are senseless, for the Established Church legislated Pur- 
gatory out of existence, and therefore she does not pray for 



GERMANY AND OXFORD 

the departed, for what would be the use? If they are in 
heaven or hell, they cannot be benefited by prayers. So the 
prayers are omitted, and only the names read out, probably 
for a perpetual memory of those whose benefactions have 
gone so far astray from the intention of the pious donors, 
and who, if they could return to life, would most certainly 
not recognize as their beneficiaries those who protest against 
the articles of the old faith so dear to their hearts. One 
cannot help being impressed by this act at every turn in the 
old university town. On all sides are the superb monuments 
of the ancient faith of England, proofs of the love of the 
founders for that faith, and of their desire to have it pre- 
served and strengthened by a broad education. Many of the 
establishments were originally monastic. In other cases the 
professors were clerics, or if not, were at least celibates. 
Strangely enough, this last obligation holds to-day in some 
of the colleges, in which the fellows forfeit their fellowship 
upon marriage. 

''One of the most striking cases in Oxford of the over- 
turning of the intentions of the founders is that of All 
Souls' College. It was founded in the fourteenth century 
as a chantry for, I think, twenty fellows, whose duty was 
to offer Mass and pray for the souls of those who' fell in 
the battles of Crecy and Agincourt. The present holders of 
the revenues are simply men of letters, like the late Max 
]\Iuller, who are not obliged to believe anything and cer- 
tainly cannot, if they would, do anything for the souls O'f 
those for whose sake the ample foundation was made. 
While we were in Oxford, some repairs being necessary in 
the chapel of that college, a superbly carved marble reredos 
was discovered. This the iconoclastic reformers of the six- 
teenth century had seriouslv damaged, and had destroyed 

35 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the statues that once stood in the rich, Gothic, canopied 
niches. Not satisfied with partial destruction, they had plas- 
tered up the whole reredos so that it seemed only a plain 
wall. This was a common occurrence in England, and the 
substitute for the crucifix was the royal coat-of-arms, the 
lion and the dragon rampant, typical indeed of those who 
had banished the Lamb of God from His dwelling-place in 
the tabernacle of the altar." 

As the Christmas vacation covered several weeks, Van 
Rensselaer proposed spending the time in a pilgrimage to 
the Holy Land, and made all the necessary arrangements. 
In an unlucky moment he infoiTned the Cowley Fathers of 
his intention and they entreated him to forego it, on the 
plea that to pass the time in a sort of retreat in their house 
would be for his greater spiritual advantage, and a better 
preparation for the reception of holy orders. He allowed 
himself to be persuaded and abandoned the projected trip, 
and so lost his only chance of visiting the sacred places of 
Palestine. ''I have always borne a grudge," he says, "to 
those who deprived me of this golden opportunity." The 
holidays were spent in great part in religious exercises in 
the private chapel of the "monastery." These began at 5 
o'clock in the morning with the recital of the Divine Office, 
the Breviary in English. Then came a meditation and 
mass (?). The whole day was well filled with pious read- 
ing, meditation and reciting of the Office. He even took 
his meals with the communit}^, and "very frugal ones they 
were and not over-appetizing." 

36 



CHAPTER V. 
Letters from Oxford. 

DURING his stay at Oxford, Van Rensselaer wrote once 
a week \vith great fidelity to an intimate friend in 
America, who had been a fellow-student with him at the 
General Theological Seminary, and to whom he refers in 
the autobiographical sketch as having been received with 
him into the Catholic Church. 

These letters, with proper omissions, are given here in 
the order in which they were written. Besides throwing 
light on his own narrative, which was put together a gen- 
eration later, they ,are descriptive of interesting phases of 
his religious life and its development. 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"October 10, 1875. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . Wednesday we took a trip into the country. 
It was a perfect day, clear as possible and delightfully cool. 
We started off at eight o'clock for Warwick, as we were 
anxious to see the famous castle. The exterior is very im- 
posing, and the grounds beautiful, the Avon flowing through 
tliem. I was rather disgusted with the interior. Such a 
chapel ! they certainly could not say : 'We have an altar/ 
And no ornament of any kind ! We were led through several 
rooms where there was nothing unique or interesting except 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

one or two pictures. One of Sir Philip Sidney, an original 
of Raphael, a Madonna and Child, with saints, among them 
your patron, St. Francis of Assisi, and a lovely face he had, 
too. I should like you to have seen it. We were also fortu- 
nate enough to have the privilege of seeing the bed in which 
her gracious majesty, Queen Anne, passed the night; also 
her travelling trunk. It was rather a bore, as we have seen 
so much of that sort of thing, but an Englishwoman who 
was also being led around, seemed much impressed; evi- 
dently she was green at it. I disgusted the major-domo by 
asking him if any one lived in the castle, being ignorant that 
there was still an 'Hearl' of Warwick. We rather enjoyed 
going up on the old walls, and up the tower, but the best 
thing was an old woman at the gate who had a small room 
full of mementos of Guy, 'Hearl' of Warwick, who lived 
about 900, and was a giant, being, as she said, 7 feet 11 
inches, or, as she added for our instruction, 8 feet lacking 
one inch. There was a huge iron pnDrringer belonging to the 
said 'Hearl,' which had been used at the last 'Hearl's' 
majority for a punch bowl. She said 'hit 'olds one 'undred 
gallons of brandy, one 'undred gallons of rum, one 'undred 
pounds of sugar, fifty gallons of water, hand horanges, hand 
lemons hin proportion.' The manner of jerking this out 
was the most absurd thing, and just think, on the eventful 
day this bowl was filled three times with punch. We nearly 
exploded with laughter at her manner and tried to beat a 
hasty retreat, but she begged us to wait for we hadn't had 
the best thing yet, whereupon she seized an iron flesh hook 
and beat upon the porringer to show us that it was not 
cracked, till we thought our tympanums were, and so rushed 
out. Next we went in a carriage to Kenilworth, five miles 
off, having been enticed by a most 'insinivating' driver. 

3S 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

On the way we stopped at a place which he said 
we must see ; we tried to refuse, but he said, 'You misses a 
treat if you misses that,' and appeared so sorrowful that to 
please him we wxnt over the house, which was nine hundred 
years old, but nothing remarkable about it except some hid- 
eous pictures by a young gentleman of the family who, 
either in despair at his attempts, or from the melancholy at 
beholding them, deceased at the early age of twenty-two. 
Some of his subjects were Shylock, Lady Macbeth, and the 
Cave of Despair, representing twoi wretches starving to 
death. Can you imagine a more unhealthy brain? 

"At length we reached Kenil worth, which is entirely in 
ruins, picturesque but, to me, who had only an indistinct re- 
membrance of Amy Robsart and the Earl of Leicester, not 
particularly interesting. . . . Now we wanted to pro- 
ceed to Stratford-on-Avon, and again the 'insinivating' 
coachy 'insinivated' himself and carriage, picturing to us 
the delights of driving in the country, the roads being, he 
said, as straight and level as a skittle ground. So, as it 
was pleasant, again we yielded, thereby spending some more 
money needlessly. We drove eight miles more and were 
landed on Charlecote Park, still in the Lucy family, and we 
walked across the Park where Shakespeare had been arrested 
for poaching, and which was full of such lovely deer, and 
then we were to walk about two miles and so reach Strat- 
ford, at least so said our 'insinivating' coachman, but alas, 
he was a fraud, or at least bad at figures, for he should have 
multiplied two by two, and then would have been nearer the 
truth, for we walked and walked; at last, however, we 
reached our point, the church. The medallion did not seem 
to me at all like any picture of Will I had ever seen, and in- 
stead of being white, is painted an nature!. The church is 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

now in Catholic hands, I am thankful to say.* We were 
intensely disappointed in Stratford itself, expecting a pretty 
little village and finding a commonplace town of ten thou- 
sand inhabitants. The old house had just been furbished up 
and looked very spick and span. We got back to Oxford 
at 9 P. M., after a very pleasant day's excursion. 

"We had a treat to-day. Dr. Pusey preached this morn- 
ing at the Cathedral. He is not nearly so ugly as his pic- 
ture makes him. He is short and thick-set, rather stooping, 
bending under his weight of years and cares ; he is seventy- 
five. As he preached, the sunlight streamed round his head, 
giving the appearance of a glory, and being raised above us, 
we did not see the skull-cap ; he is a dear old man, with such 
a sweet expression and intellectual. He preached on prayer ; 
a beautiful sermon^ so simple and yet so true. 

*'I am reading ahead, but I have a wretched memory. 
I don't see how any one Avho has read Pusey on the Real 
Presence in the Church of England, and the Fathers, can 
help being convinced, unless he be possessed of invincible 
ignorance. I suppose the lectures will begin next week ; the 
term is quite short, only a little more than six weeks. Won't 
it be delightful to go to the Holy Land or Italy? 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



*Throughout these letters the word CathoHc is invariably used 
for Anglican. 

40 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

"81 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"October 17, 1875. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . Speaking- about Absolution, I did not remem- 
ber, if I ever knew, that our Protestant Episcopal Church 
had left out that very useful little rubric in the Visitation 
Office about urging to a special confession, as also the 
direct form of Absolution . It was brought to my attention 
by Dr. King's saying that he made great capital of it in 
his lectures on the prayer book, whereupon I looked it up, 
and alas, our dear P. E. C had omitted it. I have not had 
a chance to hear what remedy he can suggest consistent 
with the rubrics; for in the Visitation of Prisoners we are 
told to use the form of Absolution in the Communion Office. 
I will see the dear soul to-morrow morning after Celebra- 
tion at the Sisters' little chapel, where I go every Monday. 
He is the most sympathetic and safe counsellor one could 
desire; he has been exceedingly polite, and invited me to 
dinner on Wednesday. ... 

"Oxford is full now; all the graduates and fellows have 
returned. I must say I am disappointed in their appearance ; 
they have not the style that elegant Americans possess so 
eminently. A\^e had a very excellent sermon this morning 
at St. Mary the Virgin, before the University. It was by 
the Dean of Rochester, Dr. Scott. Strange to say, his co- 
lexicographer, Liddell, also discoursed this morning at the 
Cathedral. The service consisted of enumerating all the 
things for which one ought to be thankful and pray, a whole 
Catalogue of the founders of Colleges, concluding with the 
Lord's prayer, said by Dr. Scott, solo. The first was the 
'bidding prayer,' so that the whole service consisted of the 

41 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Lord's prayer and the Sermon, a beautiful one on 'To me 
to die/ etc., and very spiritual. He has a sweet voice and 
excellent delivery. For early celebration we went as usual 
to St. Cross. ... Father Benson is always preaching 
on the same subject, the Eucharist, and one gets rather 
weary of hearing the same thing. This afternoon I went to 
the children's service at St. Barnabas', and was as much 
pleased as ever; lots of young men. This week is the 
dedication festival, and Dr. King preaches there to-morrow^ 
night. 

"This week the lectures begin ; Liddon three times a week, 
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 11 to 12. I be- 
lieve he also has a Bible class Sunday evenings. Dr. King's 
are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 11 to 12. Dr. 
Bright, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12 to 1, on 
the Extracts in Eusebius. As I have been reading West- 
cott on the Canon, I see the great importance of Eusebius 
and his testimony for establishing the authenticity of the 
Canonical Books, and so I am. going to the lectures. He also 
lectures on the Canons of Chalcedon on Tuesdays at 12. 
Dr. Pusey lectures Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9, 
on the Psalms after the 50th. I am in a quandary what to 
do. I fear he is too far advanced in Hebrew for me, but I 
should like to hear him occasionally, on the 51st for in- 
stance. The poor Evangelists [Father Benson's Order] 
have to write Hebrew prose compositions. . . . It is 
very hard to keep up to my good resolutions; sometimes I 
am almost discouraged, but am still struggling on. Of 
course one always finds it hard to break old habits, and then 
sometimes one's companions are a little aggravating. Ora 
pro nobis. There has been a Priests' Retreat here, seventy 
of them ; it looked exactly like a large brotherhood as they 

42 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

passed here daily on their way to the church, all in their 
cassocks, a great many in priests' cloaks, some few with 
short Roman Catholic capes and birettas. Is the Catholic 
movement a failure, think you? All four of the Bishop's 
chaplains were present, and last week Father Benson gave 
a Retreat at the Bishop's Palace. Would that our Bishops 
would show themselves indeed Fathers in God! Speaking 
of them, I hear Father Horatio (Potter) spoke highly in 
Convention of my dear Sisters' German work. I regret 
to say that I have been suffering from rheumatism, owing 
to the damp weather and cold church of the Evangelist 
Fathers. I hope it will not be serious as my family would 
say it was a judgment on my coming here in spite of the 
Bishop. . . . 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"October 24, 1875. 
"AIy Dear Francis : 

". . . This has been a week of weeks for me, since 
I have now made Dr. Liddon's acquaintance. Tuesday 
was the day for registering names for his lectures, so I 
went to his rooms. I mentioned my name to him, saying I 
had met him at Bonn, whereupon he appeared to remem- 
ber me and said we must know each other, that he would 
be very busy for a day or two, but would I come and 
breakfast with him on Saturday? As you may readily 
imagine I did not decline. . . . Was it not a very kind 
and encouraging reception? He lectured twice last week, 
and very interestingly. The room is perfectly quiet; no 

43 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



one dreams of speaking or asking questions. He is now 
on the seventh chapter of Romans. He gave me an analysis 
of the preceding chapters, and I got him to write my name 
on it, as coming from him. 

"It is very awkward getting from one lecture-room to 
another, for Dr. Liddon lectures in the Clarendon Building, 
quite a distance from Christ Church, and we have to run 
and even then come in late. It is vei*y unpleasant, as we 
are rather marked by being the only students not wearing 
caps and gowns. Apparently the same men do not go 
to Dr. Liddoii's and Dr. Bright's lectures, which are on 
the same day. We go, however, and what is more, intend 
going. 

'^We were most favorably impressed by Dr. Bright. He 
is extremely interesting, has a very brisk and vivacious style 
and is full of humor. His subject is, 'The Fragments in 
Eusebius' History.' Last time it was upon the missionary 
labors, martyrdom, etc., of St. Thomas, St. Andrew, and 
the question of St. Peter's stay in Rome. I found it quite 
delightful, particularly as I have been reading about the 
testimonies of the Fathers, in Westcott. Dr. Bright, al- 
though intensely Catholic and poetical, attaches the proper 
value to apocryphal legends, as beautiful, sometimes, but 
not of course of historical importance. He lectures on Tues- 
days on the Canons of Chalcedon, so that we shall have 
Canon Law. 

"Thursday was my birthday, and I have now attained the 
venerable age of twenty- four, and am beginning to feel the 
weight of years. I celebrated the event by going to London 
to stay with an aunt and cousin who had just arrived from 
home, and it was a pleasure to see them. My mother sent 
me over by them a beautiful pair of sleeve buttons, black 

44 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

onyx, with my monogram engraved in white; no gold set- 
ting showing ; they are exquisite, but too handsome for poor 
'Brother Heinrich/ I went to a nice celebration at All 
Saints, Margaret Street. I was only a day and a night in 
London and then gladly returned to Oxford, although I 
had a very pleasant visit. 

''I am sure you are anxious to hear about my breakfast 
with Dr. Liddon. It took place in a little cosy room open- 
ing into his large library. We were tete-a-tete. For love 
of him I ate sweetbreads. I think first we had fish, and he 
had to retire with a bone in his throat. Then came what he 
did not speak of by name, but I fear, were what I never 
could eat before, sweetbreads ; but you would rather hear of 
him. Well, he is rather short, but not noticeably so ; his 
head quite large, his complexion dark, his eyes dark, ex- 
pressive and beautiful; his eyebrows nearly meet, his nose 
rather large and aquiline, his mouth quite large, his teeth 
white and regular without being handsome, his chin decided, 
his hair grayish and worn rather short, and small ultramon- 
tanes ; his manner of speaking earnest, his laugh simple and 
hearty, his clothes not well cut, as if he did not trouble about 
them. He is rather quiet, so that I had to do most of the 
talking. These men never make one feel out of ease or pal- 
pably ignorant ; anything they tell you they tell it as if very 
likely you knew it already. We talked chiefly about travel- 
ing and the Conference. The Cathedral service at ten gave 
me warning when to make my exit. I said to him that he 
must let me walk with him sometimes (it is the custom 
here), and he said at once, 'When shall it be? A bird in the 
hand, etc. Will you come to-day at two and walk?' Of 
course I gladly accepted, being delighted to think that I had 
not bored him, and that he could stand any more of mv so- 

45 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

ciety the same day. At two I presented myself. The weather 
was showery, and the walking- shockingly muddy ; the whole 
neighborhood is flooded, roads, fields, etc. I thought very 
likely the Doctor would not venture out, being delicate, but 
he never omits his walks, so off we started to see the progress 
of the floods. Having begun, nothing would stop him, so 
we walked in water up to our ankles, and in one place we 
had actually to get into a punt to go from one part of the 
road to the other; but he stuck to his purpose, although he 
was very polite and offered frequently to turn back if I 
wanted, but naturally where he could go, I was going too, 
and though it rained hard he minded it not a bit. He said 
he hated to be balked. Truly it was a grand sermon for me, 
who am too ready to turn back and give up. I think I shan't 
forget the lesson. We were gone three hours. He ex- 
pressed great sorrow at having been the means of getting 
me such a wetting, and hoped we should have a pleasanter 
day the next time, which would be soon. 

"Liddon never preaches here, and is not going to have 
his Bible class now; perhaps he may next term. You 
asked about his way of pronouncing. It does not strike 
me as being decidedly broad or flat, but I think inclined 
rather towards the latter. He has also rather a pretty 
stutter. 

"On St. Luke's Day, in the evening, we went to St. Bar- 
nabas'. It was the week of Dedication Festival, and al- 
though a week day, a large congregation was present. The 
service was very nice, with incense at the Magnificat and 
during the procession. Canon King preached a beautiful 
sermon on 'Only Luke is with me,' deducing from it the 
lesson of finishing one's friendships. St. Luke having zsjrit- 
ten two hooks for the perfecting of one friend, also from 

46 ' 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

his constancy to St. Paul through thick and thin, he dilated 
on the little trouble we were willing to take for our friends. 
It came with great force. He alluded most affectingly to 
the late Bishop Forbes. Dr. Liddon told me the last time 
he had walked in the fields in which we were walking had 
been with Bishop Forbes. 

"Dr. King preached to-day at the Cathedral on the 
Golden Rule — as usual, excellent. Dr. Liddon has not cut 
him out at all in my affections. This afternoon we heard 
Mr. Curteis at St. Mary the Virgin; — a very interesting 
sermon on Christ, the image of the invisible God, dealing 
with all the philosophic and scientific attempts of the day to 
find out God by the human intellect, and the utter futility 
of it. He is the author, you know, of 'Dissent and Church 
of England.' He is quite young and has a very good face 
and voice. I have abandoned the idea of attending Dr. 
Pusey's lectures. Liddon says the old Doctor devotes him- 
self chiefly to the text, and to refuting objections which he 
takes for granted every one knows. I have bought Keil 
and Delitzsch and will study by myself. . . . 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"November 7, 1875. 

"^Iy Dear Francis: 

It is very refreshing to hear of a good class at 
the Seminary, and also that my friends are getting on w^ell. 
T have really so much to write that I don't know where to 
begin; and so, as is often the way, I shall probably end by 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

forgetting the half that I would say. I heard an interest- 
ing sermon last Sunday at the University Church, by Mr. 
Ffoulkes, on the evidences of Christianity. He brought for- 
ward a new one, the fact that all the records of antiquity, 
classics, history, everything were due to Christian care. If, 
then, the classical authors are accepted as genuine — and who 
doubts them? — then, as certainly, must the writings of the 
Evangelists and Apostles receive the same treatment at the 
hands of the critics. It seemed like sound reasoning, and 
the persons to whom I have spoken about it consider it so. 

"... A great feature of the lecture room is the 
perfect quiet that reigns there; no one thinks of speak- 
ing either to the lecturer or to his neighbor. There does 
not seem to be much sociability among the men; as a 
rule, they do not know each other ; of course I am speaking 
about University lectures,, and not the college ones. Per- 
haps, too, the Theologs are more sober in their deport- 
ment, but I have never seen anything but the most dignified 
behavior in the streets or elsewhere, I did not expect to 
find so young a set of men ; to be sure, at the schools one 
sees older men who are studying for their degrees, but the 
generality are not older than the men at our colleges. The 
Divinity students, with whom I am most thrown; would 
compare favorably, I think, with our seminarians, though 
there are some scrubby looking fellows — one, who' exasper- 
ates me by going regularly to Dr. Liddon's lectures, and as 
regularly reading books on Physical Geography, etc., all the 
time. I suppose he goes merely to have his name down as 
keeping so many terms. 

"Dr. Bright continues to interest me very much, and as 
for Dr. King, he Is perfect. There Is not a single thing 
about him that I could wish changed ; his lectures are very 

48 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

interesting, and he has a splendid way of stating good Cath- 
oHc doctrine, so that people cannot take alarm or offense; 
not that he minces matters or is in the least underhand. 
He gives a meditation on some point of tlie priestly life 
every Friday evening, in a little oratory he has arranged 
with a prie-dieu and a large picture of The Light of the 
World. He has a little organ also and wears a surplice 
and stole. He opens with a hymn and prayer and closes in 
like manner; then he sits down between whiles, looking like 
the dear saint he is, and talks, oh so beautifully about the 
true priest's life. There are about fifty or sixty men who 
attend. It is entirely a labor of love, as, of course, it does 
not belong to the University course. Think of exerting 
such an influence on so many men ! None but a devoted, 
unselfish man would do it, for of course it takes time, and 
he has a great many demands upon him. He never refuses 
to see anybody, however busy he may be, but gives a few 
minutes to every one. 

'T hear there is a kind of conspiracy against the splendid 
Christ Church quartette, to try to break it up; at least it 
seems so. Dr. Liddon is spoken of as Bishop of Brechin, 
and Dr. King as Bishop of Bombay. Would it not be out- 
rageous to take them away from the place where they wield 
so much power? I hope these are only unfounded rumors, 
or that, at any rate, they will not accept. Surely a State 
appointment could not be twisted into a call from above, 
so as to necessitate an acceptance. 

"Have I ever abused the Cowley Fathers in my letters 
to you? If so, I retract; they are high in favor. I have 
just come back from Even-song at their church; it was 
crowded. I noticed some of our fellow theologs there, 
which augurs well. Thev have been keeping up a kind of 

49 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

1 dedication festival ever since the 18th of October, and 
have a procession with cross and banners around the church 
every Sunday evening. The Father preached a good ser- 
mon, too. 

''This morning I went tO' St. Barnabas'. They have an 
attractive service there always, and the singing is grand in 
its heartiness. They sing in unison, and use Gregorian 
tones. The vicar preached a sermon demonstrating from the 
Bible, especially from Revelations, the propriety of using 
incense. It was good enough, but rather trivial. They gave 
an illustration of the use of it which of course suited me 
very well. I saw lots of fheologs there. 

'T am struggling on and up, I hope. It is wonderful 
how, as the spiritual life deepens, one appreciates the beauty 
and use of things before unappreciated. Now, as one draws 
closer tO' the head, one learns the truth and meaning of the 
Communion of Saints, and realizes that one must make 
mention of those who have finished their course in faith and 
hat the Blessed Saints have an interest in him as one of 
the elect whose consummation they are praying for and 
anxiously expecting. 

"The epistle to Philemon was \iad this morning as a 
second lesson. I immediately thought of you, for surely it 
expresses our relationship; it was the coming to learn how 
to serve the Lord that threw us together; surely that same 
Blessed Lord will ever protect and cement the purest of all 
friendships — one begun, continued, and I trust it may be 
ended in Him. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



50 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 



'31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"November 14, 1875. 



''My Dear Francis 



" . . . I have not so very much to tell you this week, 
still what little there is you shall haVe. I thought I ought 
to have another walk with Canon Liddon, so I stopped to 
speak to him before the lecture and asked him whether he 
was not going to give me another walk. He received me 
very kindly, and said he would that very day, Monday, so 
I went after him at lunch time, and then we started off. It 
vras a lovely day, and we went up to the hills. He talks so 
pleasantly and kindly that one feels at perfect ease with 
him — at least I do. I asked him what he thought about 
taking vows of celibacy. We had quite a long talk about it. 
He seems to think it perfectly right to do so, of course, after 
very serious consideration. He naturally favors the single 
state, although not disparaging marriage before ordination, 
a canon of the undivided church, as you know, forbidding 
marriage of priests. I thought I\Ir. Olmsted believed in 
the Church and the faith, which he used to emphasize, but 
when bishops set the example what can be expected? It is 
horrid about Bishop Hare. I would rather die at my post, 
and so would Liddon. He expressed himself so, apropos 
of Bishop Roger. 

"I consulted my angelic Dr. King on the same subject 
some time ago. He is a celibate himself, you know, but has 
never actually taken any vow, I understood him to say. 
He does not disapprove of them, but said that circumstances, 
temptations and temperaments would decide as to their ne- 
cessity. He advised me to consult Mr. Carter, but, as I told 
him, I considered his advice as good as any one's; in fact, 

51 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

better, inasmuch as he is a practiser of all that he preaches. 
I have quite decided upon the step, the time only is uncer- 
tain. If I had gone to the Holy Land at Christmas time, 
as I had thought of doing, I think I should have taken the 
vow at the Holy Sepulchre or one of the sacred places ; but 
nov^ that I have nearly come to the conclusion that it would 
be more profitable to stay here quietly and study, I shall 
have to settle upon another time and place. But, to return 
to the Canon. 

"We had a very pleasant walk. We talked at some length 
on the connection of the right belief in the Incarnation and 
the Eucharist. He is always willing to talk on any subject 
I introduce. 

"Well, as you know, he invited me to dinner. I went ex- 
pecting one or two persons, but found a large party, twelve 
in all. They have an awkward way here of not introducing 
people, so I thought it would have been very stupid, but it 
proved otherwise. Our places were not arranged, but I 
foolishly sat myself down at the end of the table from 
Liddon, but was next to Mr. Dodgson, the author of 'Alice 
in Wonderland.' He was exceedingly agreeable and amus- 
ing. Another of the party was Gladstone's youngest son, a 
refined, handsome fellow. I had a little conversation with 
him, and altogether we had a very enjoyable time. 

"You cannot conceive how delightful it is to have some 
one to whom you can go for advice, such as my angelic 
Dr. King, though he is not my confessor. I was getting 
a little disheartened at the amount of work I ought to be 
doing, and the reality. He is always sympathetic and en- 
couraging. I told him my great defect, the inability to 
analyze, so the dear soul, entering into my difificulty, took a 
sermon and analvzed it for me, and said I must write him 

52 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

an analysis of a sermon every week and he would criticize 
it; also he would try to systematize my studies more for 
me. Isn't he one among ten thousand? Would that we had 
such men at home ! We had a pleasant Friday evening with 
him and discussed the subject of conducting services. As 
he does everything well himself, he is fitted to teach others. 
He is very impartial, giving occasionally a warning to the 
advanced as to the tendency of slurring over the pro- 
anaphoral service in this particular instance. He is not in 
the least afraid of speaking Catholic truth, but at the same 
time he does it so as not to offend. There were more pres- 
ent than last week ; in fact, the oratory was crowded. 

'T went to the Sisters' little chapel this morning and 
served for Liddon. He is a beautiful celebrant ; every w^ord 
seems to come from his heart, and he looks so well in the 
vestments. I had asked his permission to serve the other 
day, but was not altogether sure he liked it, so I said, after 
the service, that I hoped he did not mind having a server. 
He replied, 'Oh, no, it is a great delight to have you,' and 
called me 'dear friend,' and said we must have another walk 
soon. At the second service I heard Father Benson, and 
this afternoon Jowett. What a varied experience in one 
day. Liddon, Benson, Jowett ! The latter is anything but 
attractive: a great, round, fat face, with hooked nose and 
retreating mouth. He wears a very low cut waistcoat, white 
choker and black gown. It is rather a good thing that he 
does not affect clerical attire. His sermon was long and 
utterly commonplace, nothing unorthodox really, but only 
a low conception. It was on the 'Temple of the Holy 
Ghost, which temple ye are.' He began with a long ac- 
count of Solomon's and the second temple, which every one 
might have known, then the temple of Nature, then our 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

souls. There was not a single original thought or expres- 
sion, and on such a subject, too! . 

''The chapel of Balliol is handsome; the service, with its 
very old double Anglican chants, reminded me of the semi- 
nary. The prayers were said apparently for another con- 
gregation, for those present never made them theirs by 
responding. It is the only service I have been to in England 
where, in place of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, they 
have sung the Cantate Domino and the Deus Misereatur. 
The change betrays the Master's hand of Jowett, who prob- 
ably is unable to appreciate the Hymns of the Incarnation. 
Such a cold service I do not wish to attend again. . . . 
I am getting on very well, and feel that I am making prog- 
ress in the art of meditating and in meditation, and I 
realize as I never could before the great dogmas of our re- 
ligion. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"HExNRY." 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"November 21, 1875. 
"My Dear Francis : 

" . . . It is delightful to me to study this year like 
a responsible being, and not to be forced to recite verbatim 
what any received text-book contains. ... I wish you 
could drop into some of Dr. King's lectures; the last was 
on Liturgies, some of which he deduced from the writings 
of Tertullian, Cyprian and Augustine. I was astonished 
to find them so exactly like, in most respects, our present 
advanced forms. It is splendid to have all these points 
forced upon the attention of men who could never dream of 
reading them for themselves, for when given by such men, 

6i 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

in such a way, they are bound to make an impression. 
And, strange to say, no one is offended. We had a beau- 
tiful meditation on the Eternal Word before the Incarna- 
tion; the next two are to be upon the Word Incarnate and 
on earth ; and then on Him, now in glory. 

''I went to the Sisters' this morning to serve Liddon ; he 
is such a reverent celebrant, though nothing of a ritualist. 
He called me 'dear friend' again. Is it not strange to be 
writing about Canon Liddon in such a way ? 

"I had to break off here and go to my dinner at Pem- 
broke. I had a charming time. It was in the large hall, 
but the men have small tables and kind of mess or club 
arrangement. . . . Well, after a pleasant dinner we ad- 
journed to St. Barnabas', which, as usual, was crowded. 
The sermon was remarkable. It was an attack on Rome, 
owing to the opening by that communion of a new church 
here as a kind of proselyting establishment. The building 
was intended for a Roman Catholic College, of which New- 
man was to have been the head, but it was squelched, and 
so they had the building on their hands. They have re- 
sorted to the expedient of starting a church, although they 
have no people here to fill it. Mr. Noel, the preacher, was 
exceedingly violent, and begged no one to be present at the 
opening of what he would not call a church, by a schismat- 
ical Bishop for the express purpose of poaching. Every one 
who went would be guilty of the sin of schism. I did think 
of going, as I wanted to hear Manning, but I think it would 
be wrong, and so shall resist. 

*T may go to see Father Corbet of the Fathers of the 
Holy Ghost, also some of the Sisterhoods and London 
churches, and, if possible, some retreat. I have traveled 
much already, and have no excuse for being on the move 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

for change of scene. I am perfectly well, so health is no 
plea. It is good for me, who have everything so propitious, 
to begin and make a little sacrifice. I am afraid sometimes 
when I think that 'to whom much is given from him,' etc., 
etc. ... 

God grant that we may work together some day as 
Brothers. Concentration is strength, and Religious Orders 
are a standing reminder to a worldly age that true Christian 
self-abnegation is not a thing of the past nor antagonistic 
to culture. . . . 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"Advent Sunday, November 28, 1875. 

"My Dear Francis : 

" . . . There has been great excitement in Oxford 
about the opening of the Roman Catholic chapel, as they 
call it. They place it on a footing with dissenting meeting- 
houses, and so will not call it church. Well, of course, 
all good Catholics stayed away, the Confraternity of the 
Blessed Sacrament and the Brotherhood of the Holy Trin- 
ity of Oxford and Cambridge enjoining it, and the Warden 
of Keble and other colleges speaking very strongly against 
it. You cannot conceive how very intensely they feel about 
it, calling it schism and every other ugly name. Undoubt- 
edly Roman Catholics stand on a very different footing 
here, and with us. 

"I dined at Keble last Monday. It was quite imposing, 
as there are one hundred and twenty students; they all rose 
as the Dons passed by, my humble self among them. Rev. 

56 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

Mr. M3^1ne, my entertainer, is a very agreeable and genial 
man. 

"Dr. King has been lecturing on the part of Hooker we 
studied last year and has made it exceedingly interesting. 
I can hardly believe it to be the same as what we had to 
recite to Dr. Duel. Dr. King throws love iiito every dogma, 
and life at the same time. I am cjuite encouraged at my 
ability to understand the Greek and Latin quotations from 
the Fathers. 

"We had a most beautiful meditation on Friday on the 
Word Incarnate on earth, and Head of the Church Militant. 
The room was full to overflowing. Dr. King inspires every 
listener, and he has the most wonderful faculty of bringing 
out of well-worn incidents in the Bible new and unthought 
of lessons. Speaking of the demoniac in the country of 
the Gadarenes, he said there was a road made dangerous by 
the attacks of this man possessed, 'so that no one dared to 
go by that way.' That was the very road Our Lord chose. 
So must His priests choose the ways where they may be 
insulted, may be injured bodily; and they must make efforts 
to reclaim the men. Everything he says is so perfectly 
simple, yet so true, and so full of holy love. His own life is 
a sermon which every one may read and copy. . . . 

"Did I speak of Young, whom I met at Leary's? Well, 
he is a most fascinating little man, very attractive looking 
and very charming in conversation. He very politely in- 
vited me to breakfast with him at Pembroke. There were 
eight fellows there, and it was exceedingly pleasant. It 
gave me an idea how beautiful college life here must be. 
Is it not funny to be entertained by people who don't know 
your name or mention theirs when they give the invitation ? 
We came to the conclusion that one of the most effective 

57 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

missionaries was a church store where there was an attrac- 
tive window and enticing httle books lying about in people's 
way, the store being in the immediate neighborhood of the 
church, if possible, where people would be obliged to pass 
it going to the services. The talk began by speaking of a 
most enticing and gorgeous shop opened here in connection 
with the so-called Roman Schism. 

''Dr. Pusey preached this morning to a large congrega- 
tion at the Cathedral, a beautiful sermon on 'Consider your 
ways.' They are going to 'restore' the University Church, 
St. Mary the Virgin, here. It is rather a pity, I think. It 
will, of course, improve the appearance of the church from 
an artistic point of view, but it will destroy its distinctive- 
ness. The undergraduates' gallery will be pulled down, 
and the present arrangement, by which the pulpit is made 
the central point, around which are arranged the seats for 
the different grades of scholarships — D.D., M.A., B.A. — 
altered. If you want to see it as in the days when New- 
man and others entranced the University, you must come 
over very soon. I don't know when they begin operations ; 
perhaps it may be deferred, as Burgon, who is Vicar, and 
very instrumental in the change, has been made Dean of 
Chichester. ... I think perhaps I may run up to Lon- 
don for Sunday to hear Liddon in St. Paul's. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 

"Charing Cross Hotel, London, 

December 5, 1875. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"Here I am in London for the purpose of hearing Lid- 
don, and I was more than satisfied this afternoon by his 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

sermon. We went an hour and a quarter before the time, 
and got to St. Paul's just as the doors were opened, and so 
succeeded in getting excellent seats. In a few minutes the 
whole choir and the space under the dome were packed. 
There must have been several thousand people, I should 
think. Well, we had Even-song, very well sung, without 
any accompaniment, and then the sermon from the epistle 
for the day. 'Whatsoever things were written,' etc. The 
Bible was the theme, and grandly handled; his delivery 
was splendid, he was very distinct and very impressive. 
The sermon was written, but very flowingly delivered. He 
has a way of throwing up his head, as if tO' give out the 
words with greater distinctness and emphasis ; he used very 
few gestures, but those were very effective; the use of the 
hands varied, sometimes using only the forefinger, at others 
the whole outspread. His a's are not broad. His face 
looked very handsome; he seemed much excited and was 
very hot. He stayed up in the pulpit and sang the hymn 
very heartily, and then gave the benediction. I was exceed- 
ingly interested and, fearing to be disappointed, was the 
more delighted. It lasted forty-five minutes, but seemed 
short. He is one of the very few preachers whose sermons 
I could wish to be longer; but I must travel backwards in 
my account. 

'T went to early celebration at All Saints, and, feeling 
quite at home there, enjoyed it very much. I then went to 
Mass at St. Anselm's Roman Catholic Church, to hear 
Manning. I cannot say I feel altogether easy about going 
to Rom.an Catholic Churches in England, for they are schis- 
matic here. Still, I went. The service was very good ; they 
had a male quartette choir; the treble boy had a lovely 
voice, and so had the tenor, who sang a beautiful Ave 

59 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Maria. Well, his Eminence preached. I had a splendid 
seat in the gallery, directly opposite to him. He looks very 
old and is exceedingly thin. He wore a violet soutane, 
lace alb, violet cape, and kept his scarlet biretta on all the 
time, only touching it when he remembered to do so at the 
Sacred Name. His text was, 'We must all appear before 
the judgment seat of Christ,' etc. Strange to say, he never 
mentioned purgatory, but said the hour of death would be 
the hour of our judgment. He said one thing I didn't quite 
understand in speaking of our relationship to Our Lord. 
He spoke of our having the same Eternal Father, and then 
added, the same Immaculate Mother, and concluded by 
begging every one to say a 'Hail Mary' for those who at 
that moment might be going to meet their Judge. Other- 
wise, it was exactly what any one of our priests might have 
preached. Of course, he preached without notes and with- 
out hesitation. It was very solemn and impressive, com- 
ing from, such an old man. The church was not a large 
one, the congregation a poor-looking lot, very few nice 
people. On the stairs was a mite box inscribed 'For Masses 
for the souls in Purgatory.' It was singular the Cardinal 
should not have mentioned purgatory at all, wasn't it? 

"Last Sunday night we went to Segur's rooms in Exeter 
College to Compline. There w^ere about twenty or thirty 
men there, all Catholics, but a different set. They were all 
very manly fellows, quite old, many of them great boating 
men. It is so pleasant to see such men taking a lively 
interest in the church. A great many were candidates for 
Orders. They all belong to some church society and have 
Compline Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 
60 



I 




HENRY VAN RENSSELAER AT OXFORD 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 



'31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

December 13, 1875. 



My Dear Francis : 



" . . . I left London on Monday, at which time Bar- 
tholomew expected tO' sail during the week for home. 
What was my surprise tO' gtt a telegram from him the same 
evening, saying that he had changed his plans and was 
going to the East, and asking- me to accompany him, but I 
declined. It was a little tempting, for I wanted to go to 
the Holy Land, but I had made up my mind that one ought 
to practise a little self-denial and not do everything one 
wishes. Besides, I have a great deal to learn yet, so I was 
firm, and telegraphed back, *No.' Fancy me, if you can, so 
resolute. I, who last Spring needed so much bolstering. 
My whole life is so completely changed by being here I can 
really feel now that I am alive; before I was merely pass- 
ively existing; before I did not know wdiat it was to think; 
now my faculties are being developed. Father Benson 
gave me a shake mentally and set me vibrating, and Dr. 
King has kept me going so steadily that I hope to be so 
regulated when I leave them that I shall be able to keep up 
to the mark. 

''The Dr. gave us a beautiful meditation on the Vision 
of Isaiah, sixth chapter. The meetings are over for the 
nonce. Next term he will give a course in self-examination, 
and in Lent on the Seven Deadly Sins. The dear soul has 
to preach ten sermons this week, so you can see in what 
demand he is. It is a delight to hear him treat any dogma ; 
he does it so reverently and lovingly and tenderly that one 
learns to appreciate what the Faith is. It makes me sad to 
think of the way the same great subjects are treated at the 

^61 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

G. T. S. ; wrangling, bitterness, narrowness ; love and rev- 
erence entirely eliminated. 

''I am trying to keep Advent Season very carefully. I 
get up every morning at five, and go to Lauds at the 
Fathers' at six, followed by Prime and a celebration, and 
then we adjourn to the church for matins. I return home 
to breakfast at eight. During the day I read and take a 
walk. I keep all the canonical hours and am quite frugal 
in my fare. I find it very satisfactory. My meditations are 
improving, and altogether I am quite encouraged in my 
efforts for a deeper and more spiritual life. Although so 
entirely alone, I do not feel at all lonely, but am very happy. 
I am beginning to realize what it is to have one's life hid 
with Christ, and to feel that He is indeed the Life. Any- 
thing that holds us back from Him must be gladly thrown 
away, cheerfully given up. 

^'I have been reading a French book of the Abbe Per- 
reyve, 'Meditations sur les Saints Ordres.' My spirit is 
stirred that all Roman Catholic priests should count it all 
joy to give up for Christ, and speak of that entire 'abandon' 
and 'detachemenf/ while the great mass of Anglican Catho- 
lics, not at all advanced, should be content to mix up the 
service of God and the world. Oh, what selfishness, what 
a low view of the priestly life! Let us give ourselves in- 
deed to Him ; not any half offering, which cannot be accept- 
able to Him. . . . 

''December 14. 

" . . . We had a fine sermon on the day of Interces- 
sion, from Dr. King, at the University Church. Although 
a week-night, the church was crowded. The dear man has 
great power. Last week he gave a splendid lecture on the 
Eucharist, proving from the Fathers a real objective pres- 
et 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

ence. I am sorry to say that we shall miss his last lecture 
to-morrow. His Friday meditation was beautiful. It was 
on the lessons to be learnt from Our Lord's life now in 
Heaven, as Intercessor. One point was, when priests grow 
too old to preach and do active work, they ought not to 
think they have nothing more to do; let them rejoice that 
young men should do their former active duties, leaving to 
them more time at the altar for their flock, and living a 
more hidden life with God. But I can't begin to do justice 
to the theme. The lecture was, as usual, very well at- 
tended. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"December 19, 1875. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . This last week has gone very uneventfully, 
and the time seems to go very quickly. I do not seem to 
accomplish very much reading, but I certainly am begin- 
ning to grasp theology. I am very much interested in Wil- 
berforce on the Incarnation. I like the tone; it is so rever- 
ential. I am getting to understand what the Incarnation 
really is. I think too many people believe in it as a thing 
of the past. I am sure that I, for my part, never until very 
lately began to realize it. I enjoy Forbes on the Creed 
and Articles, too, exceedingly. I go through Browne, as a 
matter of duty, first, always feeling protestant to his state- 
ment, and then fall back on Forbes for support. I am try- 
ing to get a general idea of Ecclesiastical History, but find 
it very confusing, particularlv the early and middle cen- 

63 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

turies; yet it is so very necessary when one appeals to an- 
tiquity to be able to give, as it were, chapter and verse. 

"I am becoming- quite ascetic, more so than Mrs. Al- 
d ridge, my good landlady, thinks good for me, and I have 
taken her advice and moderated a little. My diet was the 
point in question, as I was confining myself pretty much to 
vegetable food. I really think it is good for one's mind; 
at least I found it so. Mrs. A. says I have been living too 
low, and that it is very wrong to do so in this climate, 
where one requires animal food and some kind of drink. I 
am rather convinced that there is some truth in it. She 
scared me by telling me that I should have boils and all 
kinds of troubles if I were not careful, so verhum sap. I 
have reformed a little as to food, but not as to drink. I 
must say, though, it does destroy one's spirituality a little, 
at least mine, but I am an odd case. I have been successful 
in Avaking up at the right time this last week, at about five, 
so that I have been able to go every morning to Lauds at 
six at the Mission House, staying through Prime and Cele- 
bration, I find it all a great help ; then Matins at 7 :30 and 
breakfast at 8. I am so monkish that I even read through 
mealtime Baring-Gould's Lives of the Saints. I hope I am 
imbibing some of the martyr spirit. I was much struck by 
a passage where he is speaking about the monks in Egypt, 
and the effect they had in advancing, or at least in keeping 
alive, the spirit of Christianity. Contrasting it with the 
spirit of the present age, its unbelief, skepticism, Arianism 
and infidelity, he says, 'Such an age as this seems one meet 
for the revival of the hermit life as a witness for the truth 
and a protest against luxury. This, and this only, as far as 
we can judge, will meet the great want of the day. It is not 
preaching that will recover the multitude lapsed into re- 

64 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

ligious indifference; it must be the example of men, believ- 
ing with such fiery faith that they sacrifice everything the 
world holds precious for the sake of the truth, that Jesus 
Christ, the everlasting God, came into the flesh.' 

'This is a long quotation to give you, but it almost ex- 
actly expresses my feelings on the subject. The more I see, 
the more absurd it seems to me for men to preach what 
they do not try or pretend to carry out. Take any of our 
clergy. In what are their lives better than those of unbe- 
lievers ? What self-denial are they willing to practise ? Ab- 
solutely none in reality, although perhaps much in their talk 
and sermons. As to the hermit part, I would alter that a 
little. An example of a self-denying priest in a parish 
would undoubtedly have an immense influence for good, 
and it is astonishing how in small things example tells. I 
often remember an incident in Dr. Dix's former life; the 
warden of Bellevue Hospital, a plain Roman Catholic, went 
to see him on business, a Friday, at dinner time. He was 
shown into the dining-room, and was at once impressed 
with the frugality of the meal, only a little fish. 'Why, 
Dr. Dix,' he said afterwards, 'must be a real Catholic' 

"Now, in reading about these Saints — I don't mean Dr. 
Dix, but to return — one is struck by their being in most 
cases men and women of no great or especial talents ; and 
I find great comfort in the thought that no one is too small 
or insignificant to be able to witness to the truth. Some 
day, may God grant that I may, however feebly, do it; but 
'Fitmon c'est la force/ Could we not band ourselves to- 
gether, living witnesses to a worldly generation, that the 
Christian spirit of self-denial and renunciation is not dead? 
At least we could try. I believe that I have a decided voca- 
tion, but shall take no steps for the present; only try and 

65 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

cultivate the spirit as much as possible. Don't think the 
Fathers have been influencing me. I have never spoken a 
word to them on the subject. I fully believe it is the call 
of a Higher Power; I feel it in all I do, wherever I go; 
nothing that is not connected with the higher life seems to 
have any interest for me. 

"I went to the Ordination Day at the Cathedral; there 
were about twenty candidates — priests and deacons. Dr. 
King asked me to lunch with him to meet Bishop Mac- 
karness and his chaplains. The Bishop's wife was there! 
She is very pleasant. Altogether it was a very interesting 
lunch. Dr. Bright was very lively and amusing. My Doc- 
tor charming as usual; isn't he good to think of me when 
he believes it would be well for me to meet people? The 
Bishop ordained seated; it is much more dignified than do- 
ing it in a bunch. I do not regret at all my decision to stay 
here, for I am very happy. I have just finished Bossuet 
and his contemporaries. I had the greatest admiration for 
him at the outset, but I must say I was exceedingly disap- 
pointed in him. It is sad to read of his end and his treat- 
ment of Fenelon. Have you read it? He had great long- 
ings for reunion and would have bitterly opposed infallibil- 
ity, etc. . . . With best wishes for the New Year, the 
year of so much importance to us. 

"Yours affectionately, 

""Henry." 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 
"St. Stephen's Day, December 26, 1875. 
"My Dear F'rancis : 

" . . . You ought to be here to look after m.e, for 
I am in a very dangerous state. The Cowley Fathers quite 

GG 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

look upon me as one of themselves. What if I should be? 
I really think I have quite, if not altogether, a vocation for 
the religious life; whether as developed at Cowley or not 
remains to be seen. I have been there a great deal lately, 
and enjoy keeping the canonical hours. I don't know if I 
had better keep on going or not, but I shall consult Dr. 
King as soon as he comes back. Perhaps it would be as 
well to try myself a little. There is no intention on my part 
of doing anything rash, so don't be alarmed. I shouldn't 
think of joining or doing anything definite before I am 
thirty years old. The Fathers I like very well. I took tea 
there and went to vespers yesterday, but I declined dining, 
as I should have to write an account of my Christmas dinner 
to my mother ; nor have I mentioned the dangerous proxim- 
ity to the Mission House; it would worry or alarm her 
needlessly. I passed a very happy Christmas, though I 
missed the midnight ]\Iass. 

"I went to High Celebration at St. Barnabas', and heard a 
very good sermon given by the curate, extempore, but very 
fluent and to the point. I much prefer him to the vicar. I 
had dinner solus; then, as I said before, had Vespers and 
tea at the Fathers, and went to Even-song at their church, 
where Father Benson preached an excellent sermon. I 
could scarcely realize it was Christmas Day, for it was like 
spring — a mild, pleasant day — and then so many services 
and so well attended. The evening service was crowded. 
Imagine it in our churches on Christmas! Why, everyone 
would be gorging himself at dinner! 

**I went this afternoon to the Sisters with Father Pres- 
cott and read the lessons; it reminded me of last winter. 
The Father preached a little sermon. The chapel was very 
prettily decorated. It is so hard to believe that I am myself 

67 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

at all, everything is so strange. I am unnatural, I suppose, 
but quite happy here ; of course I should like to be at home. 
And noAv if I thought you would answer any questions, I 
would ask you what you think of my case. Would you 
avoid the Fathers until the danger be passed, or not ? Father 
Prescott seemed to insinuate to-night that it was a matter- 
of-course that I should join the Society. I need not say it 
is nothing of the kind; in fact, I have no desire to join an 
English Society. I think it would be much better to be 
trained in the United States if one is to be trained. My old 
tormentor, the Irish-American clergyman, has turned up 
again, but I have not had much to say to him; besides I 
am much more settled now than when he bothered me be- 
fore. He is certainly most unfortunate — hasn't a cent of 
money and nothing to do. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"January 12, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . It was delightful to hear that you had daily 
Celebration. How mAich you are gaining! . . . How 
primitive you are with your alb, but I did not know any- 
body but the celebrant wore the amice. I must tell you what 
I did on Epiphany — went with Father Maturin* to the 
nunnery and served him and acted as thurifer. I was 
dreadfully scared, as you know I have hardly ever served 



* Father Basil William Maturin, one time a Cowley Father, was re- 
ceived into the Church by Father Pope, SJ., at Beaumont, in 1897, and 
was ordained by Cardinal Vaughan in 1898. 

68 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

and did not know anything about the use of incense, at least 
very httle. I have seen it used at St. Barnabas' twice, but 
not expecting to be thurifer myself, did not remark it espe- 
cially. I got through very well, however. I swung the 
censer all through the Prayer of Consecration — I suppose 
you would call it the Canon of the Mass. I am exceedingly 
fond of incense and think it most beautiful and appropriate. 
I can scarcely write as I have chilblains, and my hands are 
much swollen, but I hope you can read this. I had to wear 
the most absurdly short cotta with deep lace. I am afraid 
I am decidedly elephantine in my movements, but console 
myself by thinking that even they have a certain amount of 
grace — I mean dignity. 

"This week the Mission is in full force. And such a 
Mission! I would you were here with me. It began on 
Saturday by a service at the Cathedral which was crowded; 
the Bishop addressed the missioners in an episcopal style, 
with a little twaddle;, still, as he had encouraged and invited 
them to come, knowing that the majority would assuredly 
do evei-ything Catholicly, one easily overlooked any expres- 
sion for the sake of the deed, and after all he really said 
nothing disagreeable. 

"On Sunday I went, morning and evening, to St. Barna- 
bas', where J\Ir. Randall of Clinton, a celebrity, and Mr. 
Coles, were the priests. Mr. Randall is quite an old man, 
over sixty I should say ; he is the preacher. He gave a rous- 
ing sermon on the text, 'Friend, wherefore art thou come ?' 
and it was very thrilling. In the evening he was still more 
impressive. He has a very grave, thin face, and looks as if 
he had fasted often; he has a good deal of gesture. He 
spoke most openly of confession, and gave an instance of a 
lady being saved from despair by a priest, which priest, at 

69 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the end, he declared himself to be. No sooner is the sermon 
over than Mr. Coles mounts the pulpit to instruct. He is of 
an entirely different style, younger and stout; he is a great 
friend of Dr. King and has imitated him in his ways. I 
met him several months ago at the Doctor's house. Well, 
Mr. Randall has roused the people tremendously ; then Mr. 
Coles proceeds to soothe them by his teaching; he is very 
calm and gentle and simple. He explained the first part of 
the Creed. At the door are stationed two other priests who 
hand everybody a tract and speak to those who they think 
require it. 

"On Monday Dr. King told me I ought to hear Walsham 
House, who was tO' preach, so I obediently went, but was 
not much edified, for it was at St. Mary the Virgin, which 
is high and dry exceedingly. It was not in the least like a 
mission, but only a Prot. parody. The sermon in itself was 
excellent, but there was nothing to follow it up; still it is a 
good sign when such churches are willing to join in the 
movement instead of protesting. 

"Last night I went to St. Thomas the Martyr (Catholic), 
where a Mr. Ponsonby and the dear Dr. King are mis- 
sioners. Oh, such a crowd of such people I never saw 
before. The church is in the worst part of Oxford, near 
the railroad and the canal. The men were there in smock 
frocks, with torn coats, and rags, and black hands and faces. 
The women with babies, and such poor, wretched people ; it 
did one's heart good to see them in such a place. Mr. P. 
preached very well, really eloquent at times, and very lively, 
and the hymns, oh, the Methodistical tunes they sang! 
After the sermon Dr. King instructed about Confession. 
You should have heard him! It was the boldest, most 
courageous thing in him to do, for, just think of his posi- 

70 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

tion, and in Oxford, too! Confession is one of his hobbies. 
He was grand! He proved it most clearly out of the Bible 
and prayer-book — their prayer-book is much better than 
ours — and the people were most attentive. I talked with 
the Doctor after the service, and he said he enjoyed work- 
ing among such people — think of it — he, the most refined, 
sensitive, gentle nature. It was delightful to hear him talk 
in such a way. You should have seen the assistant priests 
in their cassocks and birettas, talking to the people, going 
into the streets and bringing them in. 

"The whole city is given up to the mission. All the 
shops are closed early every evening to give the people a 
chance to attend. We in the United States could never have 
such advantages, and then the clergy here can speak so 
much more authoritatively, particularly when the Bishop 
has sanctioned it. They are undoubtedly doing a grand 
w^ork, but just think for a moment of such a thing at home ! 
Where w^ould the. priests come from? These missionaries 
are all secular, but they are very spiritual men as well as 
pretty thoroughly grounded in doctrine, though there is a 
good deal of machinery to work. But all in good time. 
First the seed — but how about the seed when such men as 
you say that we can't be ordained in the Church? 

"Your idea of a Brotherhood of love at Hoboken is very 
engaging. I am very much interested in the Oratory and 
have been reading the life of Henri Perreyve, who revived 
the Oratory in France. He is a most lovely character. 
Couldn't we do something of the kind? The Bishop would 
never allow me to leave New York at present, I fear. I 
hope he won't be disagreeable to me. ... I had a 

letter from to-day from Pisa; he is on his way home 

to rescue me from the Evangelist Fathers, as my letter to 

71 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

him alarmed him for my safety. He is very Protestant 
since being at Rome — alas, who isn't? It is a pity though 
for him, but he ought to have the sense to see beauty in the 
use of what is detestable when abused. 

"As to vows, I have done nothing yet, for I had a cor- 
respondence with Mr. Carter of Clewer, but found it im- 
possible to arrive at any conclusion by letters, so I expect 
to see him-. They all say he is very, very cautious, and ad- 
vises taking vows for a time as a probation. Be careful, 
then ; do nothing rash, although it seems absurd for us who 
have thought of it so much and so long to talk about being 
rash and doing things in a hurry. Still, you are so young, 
but guard your name as much as possible from gossip. One 
can't be too careful ; it is so^ horrid for those devoted to the 
Lord to be talked about. . . . ■ 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"January 23, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"... I don't remember exactly where I left off in 
my account of the mission. Did I speak of St. Frides- 
wide? Well, it was too ultra to suit me. They were so 
very Catholic that they forgot their dignity and became 
mere Methodist ranters. The sermon was not so bad, but 
the instruction which took up the same subject was terrible 
to me. It was on the Crucifixion. The missioner imagined 
and invented all kinds of horrible jests and sarcasms said 
by the Roman soldiery, and drew the most revolting picture 
of Our Lord's appearance. It was sickening. I disliked 

73 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

the man's looks, too; he had long red hair and beard and 
wore a cassock with a short cape and silver cross in front. 
Now you know, I like a cassock and certainly a cross, but 
then there are different ways of wearing them. After the 
instruction the missioners went up and down the aisle 
making extempore prayers and ejaculations, in which Our 
Lord's name was, to my mind, most irreverently used, with- 
out any qualifying epithet. It struck me as being very 
forced. To cap the climax, the Irishman, my constant at- 
tendant, whose clerical clothes were concealed by his over- 
coat, was attacked by one of the priests, and inquiries made 
as to the state of his soul, and whether he received the mes- 
sage, but he didn't disclose his clerical character. I was 
utterly disgusted. It only show^s that the step between the 
sublime and the ridiculous must be carefully attended to. 

"It was very much the same thing at SS. Philip and 
James', only everything was done in the most dignified way 
possible. The Canon, who is Principal of Cuddleston, was 
the missioner. He is an excellent preacher and drew well. 
The church is free, and the congregation would correspond 
to Trinity Chapel, with a sprinkling of poor people. He 
preached a fine sermon on religious presumption, which im- 
pressed me very strongly. He handled Confession most 
ably, introducing the subject in the most plausible way. 
Perhaps he left too much of a loop-hole for people to escape. 

"Last Sunday afternoon there w^as an address for men, 
and the church, a large one, was well filled. The address 
was excellent, proving that religion was not in the least an- 
tagonistic to everyday life. He has a very manly and honest 
way of putting things that is very effective. In the evening, 
after the sermon, the assistant missioner made a few re- 
marks and then read about self-examination on the Com- 

73 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



mandments, the idea being that a man's sins would be 
brought prominently forward, and he would be led to see 
the need of confession; the Canon meanwhile going about 
among the kneeling congregation and speaking as he saw 
fit. It was really the same thing as at St. Frideswide's, but 
the difference in the manner of doing things was very 
marked. I ought to say that I hear that the mission at 
St. Frideswide's has been successful, though it was a com- 
moner congregation to be sure. 

''There was a Mr. Boddington at St. Cross who was 
really splendid ; he gave excellent addresses to men and had 
a wonderful flow of language. I heard him on non-com- 
municating attendance. It was capital. 

''At St. Barnabas' the mission has been so successful 
diat they have kept it up all the week to follow up the im- 
pression they had made. Certainly Mr. Randall is the most 
striking speaker I ever listened to. Last Sunday the sermon 
on Hell was terrific, and yet not at all sensational, but only 
fearfully real and earnest. He has a great power in telling 
incidents, is very dramatic, without being stagy, is eld and 
venerable looking, and his voice thrills you through and 
through. I would sit there trembling. It has made a won- 
derful impression on me. The very fact of seeing so many 
men at such a glorious work inspires me. What a wondrous 
power has been given to the priests here through retreats ! 

"I have been reading some of Newman's University ser- 
mons with great pleasure. A\'hat a splendid one that is on 
Responsibility. I have been very much interested in the 
life of Abbe Henri Perreyve, the favorite of Lacordaire, 
and a lovely character, a man of great ability, who came 
to an early grave through an utter disregard of his life. 
I am learning a lesson of the proper use of one's strength 

74 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

'ad niajoreni Dei gloriani.' Pere Gratry, who writes the 
book, speaks very plainly about the way Perreyve, who was 
the apple of his eye, overdid things, thus depriving the 
Church of a wondrous power. He was especially great 
with children. . 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.'' 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"January 30, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

". . . Speaking about Confession, I am convinced 
that multitudes of young men would be saved had they such 
a safeguard. . . . Last Sunday night the mission at 
St. Barnabas' ended. The church was thronged, the service 
grand, and they sang High Even-song. Do you know what 
that is? Perhaps not, so I will tell you. The priest wears a 
cope and biretta and says the service in the Sanctuary at 
one side of the altar, and incenses it. Mr. Randall preached 
a very fine sermon on St. Mary Magdalen. He is certainly 
a most striking preacher, and by no means minces matters. 
It was very good for the undergrads to hear. At the end 
of the service they sang Te Deum for the successful mis- 
sion. It was grand. Mr. Noel was at the altar in his cope, 
a very handsome embroidered white one. The censer was 
kept swinging and the processional Cross was held facing 
the altar, with acolytes bearing candles on each side, and 
others carrying large handsome banners, with faces toward 
the altar. The Te Deum was plain-song, and all the large 
congregation joined in most heartily. The effect was splen- 
did. At the conclusion the procession marched round the 
church, singing 'Crown Him with many Crowns.' 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

''On Monday I dined at Dr. King's to meet Mr. Randall 
and Mr. Coles, the two missioners. I had a charming time. 
They told many interesting anecdotes and reminiscences 
about Manning and Newman and Wilberforce. Mr. Ran- 
dall is very entertaining indeed, and so is Mr. Coles. He 
very kindly asked me to come and stay with him and see a 
country parish. Very likely I shall go after Easter, 
D. V. . . . 

''College men here do not mix even among themselves 
without a formal introduction. You see them sitting day by 
day in the lecture rooms and never speaking or making each 
other's acquaintance. You are on no account to imagine 
that I have not had a delightful and exceedingly profitable 
time at Oxford. I have kept pretty steadily at work, tried 
to cultivate the inner life, and have not cared much for 
external things at all The friends I have made I have not 
followed up, simply because I did not care to waste time or 
distract myself. Undoubtedly I could have made many more 
had I cared to. I was very much pleased, on going to Canon 
Liddon's, to find that he remembered me perfectly and 
asked if I had gone to the East as I had planned. It was 
quite a thing to be remembered by one who sees so many. 
He made some very kind remarks about seeing me 
often. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.'' 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"February 6, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

''.... I have received a most charming letter from 
my Bishop in answer to mine. He wrote the day after re- 

76 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

ceiving 'my welcome note,' expressing his pleasure at all the 
kindnesses I was being shown. He particularly commends 
me 'to his dear and honored friend, Dr. Pusey.' He en- 
closes me his blessing and calls me 'his dear friend,' and 
concludes 'most affectionately.' He likewise sends me the 
most flattering commendatory letter, which could never 
possibly be shown to any one. He says, moreover, he had 
intended to give it to me before I left, but had not the op- 
portunity, and somehow his delicacy prevented his sending 
it through my mother. Imagine my feelings on hearing of 
such magnanimity. I was quite overcome, I assure you. 
I have had many prickings of conscience on the subject of 
my behavior to him. I really did not deserve much kind- 
ness or politeness at his hands, for however he treated me, 
that was no excuse for me. It has taken a great load off my 
mind. All things work together for good; it must come 
out right; I have great faith. Is it not wonderful how 
everything seems to be coming about just as I have longed 
for but scarcely dared to hope? . . . 

"To go to Cowley would ruin my life, although I have, 
I am sure, the most distinct call to the religious life, but 
not exactly in that place. You are perfectly right about 
doing w^hat we are best fitted for^certainly mission preach- 
ing would not be my forte. What I long to do is some quiet, 
unobtrusive work, much prayer, intercession, meditation, 
with especial attention to be given to men and the poor.^ 
I am reading 'L'Oratoire' ; if you read French well enough 
to care for it, I will gladly send you a copy. I quote a 
little paragraph : 'Tel est done I'esprit de I'Oratoire : pour 
hut, la parfection du sacerdoce; pour principe et pour moycjt 

* A remarkable foreshadowing of his future work as a Jesuit priest. 

77 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



la charite; rien par voeu, tout par amour, rien de profane 
et de seculier, tout par rapport a Jesus Christ, a Teglise 
et au sacerdoce.' I think that probably the Triestly Life' 
is in great part taken from this book, which gives an ac- 
count of the Oratory of S. Philip Neri, de Berulle and the 
one of the present century in France, under Henri de Per- 
reyve. How glorious is the idea! What if we could do 
some little work for Him in this way! His strength is 
made perfect in weakness; let us try and begin now by 
making it a perpetual subject of prayer, and that He will 
raise up some one who will be the Superior General. I 
dared not mention what was occupying so much of my 
thought to Dr. King, for fear I might seem presumptuous. 
To my great joy he told me a plan he had for something 
of the same kind. He had bought a house which will hold 
^bout twelve men to be a sort of training school for mis- 
sionaries. Mr. Moberly, the Bishop's son, is to be the head; 
Dr. King, I suppose the director. AVell, the dear man 
asked me to stay another year. Now you will think me 
crazy, but I am going to decline; perhaps he would not 
really want me; at any rate, he suggested it, i. e., said he 
did want me, so then I told him about my aspirations, and 
he said he thought them not at all presumptuous and not by 
any means impracticable. I have not had a chance to say 
much more to him on the subject. Wouldn't it be a good 
plan, if you agree to it, to get him to help us to draw up a 
few simple rules to start with? He has a great deal of 
judgment and is good — so true and sympathetic. The rea- 
son why I cannot stay is that I cannot put ofif the priest- 
hood for a moment. The sooner one of us can ofifer up the 
all-prevailing sacrifice the sooner must our plans begin to 
be realized. So don't, I beg vou, write asking me to stay. 

78 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

I no longer think of Avenue C except, perhaps, as the be- 
ginning of my career; it is no longer the centre of my 
priestly life. How wonderful it all seems! too good almost 
to be possible. Let the Society of the Holy Cross (do you 
like the name?) be the subject of our intention especially 
once a week, Monday, when I go to the Sisters* chapel; 
and when Dr. King celebrates, I will ask him to remember 
it. Have you still Daily Celebration? Have I led you to 
suppose that I have broken in any way with the Fathers? 
I have not, and hope to go to the house in Lent for Lauds. 
Father Benson gave us an excellent sermon this morning on 
the Gospel. He is decidedly above the congregation, though 
all his teaching seems to lead towards perfection. The 
lectures are all going on now. I enjoy Liddon's more this 
term than last. I am reading, with great pleasure, his 
Bamptons. Haven't I made an advance? I can hear him 
in fancy speaking each word, and I can bring before me 
every tone of his voice and look, and it adds wonderful in- 
terest to the reading. 

"Dr. Bright is interesting in his treatment of the Igna- 
tian Epistles. Dr. King is glorious on the Ordinal. This 
set of his lectures does not belong to the school, and is 
quite voluntary, 3^et not only his room is crowded, but the 
adjoining one likewise. He has been treating the separa- 
tion of the Levite and Aaronic priesthood, the use of media, 
and that not any and everybody may be a priest, but that 
there is need of a distinct call. He is splendid. His medi- 
tations have begun, his little chapel filled to overflowing, 
and men standing all through. Last Friday his lecture was 
on self-examination, and very excellent it was. He dis- 
cussed the different ways of meditating; the purgative, the 
illuminative, and the unitive. and then, after dilating to 

79 



•LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

some extent upon each of them, said, 'No doubt some of 
you will think it is mere medisevalism,' and then he spoke 
about St. Clement oi Alexandria's works, and especially 
the Paidagogos who is Christ, showing that St. Clement 
taught in that early age on exactly the same plan as the later 
saints. He then analyzed Wesley's rules of self-examina- 
tion, thus combining to suit and not to offend any class of 
thinkers. He is wonderfully happy in his handling of such 
subjects. 

"I have just come in from service at the Evangelist 
Fathers' Church. Father Benson preached on *0h, taste 
and see.' You can imagine it was a pretty high sermon, 
much too high for the understanding of the people, I fear. 
I enjoyed it very much, although it was rather long. You 
ask about the chanting ; it is hard to say whether it is fast or 
slow ; rather fast, I should say, pausing slightly at the com- 
mas, and not dwelling much on any one note. The accom- 
paniment at St. Barnabas' is very brilliant; the organ is a 
fine one, the boys singing alternate verses. The congrega- 
tion there is divided, men on the right side and women on 
the left. The women sing with the boys. In high services 
and on Sundays cadences are introduced in the intoning of 
the prayers. I don't think honestly that the English sing- 
ing is any better or differs materially from ours; perhaps 
some of the boys' voices may be sweeter. . . . 

"I agree with you entirely about the Mary banner; let 
the -first banner, at least, be in honor of Our Lord, the 
Lamb, for instance, or the Good Shepherd, or Our Lord 
blessins: little children, etc. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.^^ 



80 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"February 13, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

". . . Father Prescott has imbued me with the idea 
of extreme caution in regard tO' the enthusiasm which we 
young-blooded fellows feel. Without experience we are apt 
to sneer at his advice as conservatism. Surely, when we are 
playing for such high stakes we cannot be too careful. At 
least the great guns of Oxford impress me so. 

"I hope to get back about the 21st of June, as I have 
engaged my passage on the Bothnia, which sails on the 10th. 
Secessions to Rome seem to be the order of the day. Mr. 
Hutton, a former curate of St. Barnabas', and a first class 
honor man, who composed a defence of Anglican Orders 
and was one of the Catholic party, has just been received by 
John Henry Newman at the Oratory. He went to see Dr. 
King, and the Doctor says he had absolutely no reason to 
give for his perversion except that there is no room *for 
childlike faith in the English Church.' Certainly one would 
require a vast amount of that article unadulterated to turn 
Roman nowadays. Isn't it sickening to see the work of 
years and noble lives almost neutralized by such absurd 
monomania? But certainly everything preaches a lesson of 
caution to us to give people a thorough grounding in good, 
true, sound doctrine, before they are carried away by their 
feelings. But how can one account for first class men be- 
having in such a way? 

"I went to a delightful dinner at Dr. King's on Thurs- 
day to meet Burgon, the new Dean of Chichester. It was 
quite a large affair, — fourteen of us. I was the only man 
under forty-five. I considered .it quite a compliment. Half 
the party were ladies. The Dean was the most amusing 

81 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



company, full of anecdotes, some quite stale; a most lacka- 
daisical looking person and with such a comical way of tell- 
ing things that one laughed whenever one looked at him. 
Among the guests was Archdeacon Pott. He was v^ery jolly 
and told very amusing things about Wilberf orce ; he looked 
so amusing in knee-breeches and apron; he reminded me 
strongly, of Dr. Seymour. Imagine him in that dress! An- 
other guest was a Rev. George Williams, very learned in 
Eastern Church concerns, who has travelled a great deal, 
and who gave us an interesting account of the steps the 
Orientals are making towards unity. There is also a Broth- 
erhood at Athens, lay, I believe, for the improving of the 
education of the clergy. Professor Damalas, one of the 
Bonn men, is one of the leaders. We need something of the 
kind — our Oratory under another name. We heard of Dr. 
Eigenbrodt's dog-in-the-manger treatment of the St. Chrys- 
ostom Society. How contemptible it does seem ! 

"The weather is horrid; I never suffered so much from 
cold in my life ; not that it is so cold, but such penetrating 
damp. My hands have been perfect sights from chilblains 
— all swollen and red mottled — and my feet are in a con- 
stant state of numbness. I shall be glad when spring comes. 

''We went to a breakfast at Exeter College yesterday. 
Segur was our host ; he is one of the best men I have ever 
met. We were a party of eight and had a very jolly time. 
We were told amusing college stories, and were greatly en- 
tertained. An Oxford breakfast is quite an imposing affair. 

"Dr. King gave us a beautiful instruction on Pride. He 
is certainly a most charming man. He makes great use of 
Dante, rolling off the Italian very sweetly. I think he man- 
aged to convict us all of pride, in some of its shapes. He 
describes most graphically, and is particularly good about 

8^ 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

castle building, in which one is sure to be the lord of the 
castle oneself. 'Full; gives you no idea what the little chapel 
is ; men willing to stand, too, and such men, not the scrubs 
one is apt to consider as the only Theologs, but fine-looking, 
manly, high-bred fellows. I find myself questioning whether 
it can be possible that they are really candidates, and yet 
the fact of their coming to extra lectures and meditations 
proves that they are not going into Holy Orders as a matter 
of business. What a contrast Dr. King is to our Profes- 
sors ! He gave us. notice yesterday that to anyone who ex- 
pected to be ordained at the Lent ordination, and had not 
heard his Tarochialia,' he w^ould be happy to give them 
privately. Wasn't that good in him? What a thing love is ! 
How many people would take such extra trouble for any set 
of young men? I asked the dear soul to make a special 
memento of us and our plan on Monday mornings at Cele- 
bration ; he seemed very pleased with the idea. A good talk 
with him on Monday sets me up for the rest of the week. 
I don't know what I should do without the daily Celebra- 
tion. . . . Our friend B. has decided to pass the sum- 
mer in Hanover or elsewhere in Germany. I wouldn't 
think of doing such a thing, for I consider it absolutely 
dangerous for one's spiritual life to live in a country where 
religion is a mere nonentity — no services but once a week, 
and those dreadful, and to live in an atmosphere of utter 
worldliness and pleasure-seeking. Decidedly Germany has 
no charm for me which could outweigh the evils. I am 
sorry to say that I have forgotten all the German I knew. 
Last summer seems like a blank. I might have learned so 
very much more than I did, but I suppose there is no use 
crying over spilt milk. 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry."-* 
83 



CHAPTER VI 



Letters From Oxford (Continued) 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

''February 20, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . This morning Dr. Pusey- preached before 
the University. St. Mary's was crowded. The Under- 
grads' gallery was packed, and many were standing in the 
aisles. I went early and got a good seat. Shall I tell you 
how? I was very bold. I was modestly waiting near a 
locked pew ; a beauteous damsel was waiting likewise, amid 
a throng of others. The pew-opener's heart warmed to so 
much beauty, and the door was opened. I followed close to 
the beauteous damsel and was locked in the pew with her — 
was not that a successful dodge? The dear Doctor ap- 
peared in his red gown, which, although innocent of ritual- 
istic tendencies, would have scared our respective mothers 
not a little. The text was : 'As my Father has sent Me, even 
so send I you.' The sermon opened with a description of 
the 'Zeitgeist,' intellectual pride ; unwillingness to accept re- 
vealed truth which reason could not understand. He then 
proceeded to consider several schemes of philosophy, but 
was seized with a violent attack of coughing, which threat- 
ened to put an end to the sermon. However, the brave old 
soul is not one to give in ; he struggled on and proved vic- 
torious. It was very painful, though, at times. Next he 
spoke of media in natural life, and then by analogy in our 
spiritual life, touching on the two great Sacraments and 

84 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

concluding with a splendid appeal to the Undergraduates 
on the Sacrament of Confession. He was wonderfully in- 
teresting. Just to look at him fascinated me. He filled me 
with a feeling of sadness — I know not why — there is some- 
thing so pathetic about him. I must get Dr. King to intro- 
duce me to him, as I am very anxious for his blessing. 

"The precentor of Christ Church Cathedral, a fellow, 
offered to teach intoning to any of Dr. King's students, for 
love, of course. The Doctor very kindly asked him to take 
me. I supposed it would be a class, but to my surprise he 
gives us each a separate half-hour a week. He is a Catho- 
lic, a priest, and sings on great occasions at St. Barnabas'. 
I remembered hearing him there ; he sings splendidly. He 
is very kind indeed and says, when I have practised a little, 
he will take me into the Cathedral to see how I can get on 
in a large church. Of course the Cathedral will be empty. 
He makes me take G. I think perhaps it is too high for me, 
but he says not. I have been practising breathing and since 
I have been in Oxford my chest has expanded an inch. I 
am very careful to articulate distinctly, and find that my 
practice stands me in good stead for my intoning. 

"Dr. King's Friday evening conferences are literally 
thronged; the room is altogether too small, but the men 
don't seem to mind standing. He was on 'Envy' last time, 
and spoke about the great danger of it for fellow curates. 

"I consulted Dr. King about the Canon. He quite con- 
soled me and thought it would not be dishonest. I should 
have no scruple about telling the examiners if they see fit to 
ask me. I mean to have a walk and a talk with Dr. Liddon, 
and perhaps what he says may have more influence with 
you. 

"I enjoy Dr. Liddon extremely this term. As for his 

85 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



Bamptoii lectures I am enraptured with them. I am getting 
quite a clear view of the Incarnation and the Trinity. I 
don't get on very quickly, though, with Bamptons, for there 
is so much matter in them for meditation that I read and 
re-read. What a beautiful style and what a devotional spirit 
pervades them! 

''Dr. Bright is lecturing on the Gnostic heresies, which 
fit in very nicely; he makes them really very interesting. Do 
you remember all that bosh we learned the first year? Dr. 
Bright really brings the heretics and their views before you, 
and he is withal very fair to them, showing their points of 
contact with the Catholic faith, and how they arose. You 
can realize that the heresiarchs were men, and not fiends, 
as they were usually represented. 

"1 wish you were here that we might plan together, but 
one thing we can do, and that is, pray. It is a very serious 
thing — prayer — one must be very particular and regular; 
regularity and order are very excellent safeguards. Make 
a rule and stick to it as closely as possible. I find it the 
only way for me. You may think me a mere creature of 
habit! Amen, say I, provided the habit is good. Do you 
try to meditate, or have you given up in despair? Surely 
not. Don't trammel yourself with toO' many rules in med- 
itation. 

"How near Lent is ; I rather dread it for some reasons. 
Do you ever speak about our plan or do you keep a religious 
secrecy? At all events we must have Associates. Do you 
make our Brotherhood a definite subject of prayer? I do 
every day, at Celebration, to say nothing of other times. 
I am still reading 'L'Oratoire' at odd times. In it is the life 
of the Pere de Condren, one of the Superior Generals of the 
Order. It relates that Pere de Berulle had his. eye upon him 

86 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

long before de Condren thought of joining, and the Ora- 
tory offered up prayers that God would put it into his heart 
to join, which in due time came to pass. Now, why can't 
we do the same for those whom we think would be fit help- 
ers in our work? ... 

"I have just come in from a sermon of Father Benson — 
very excellent — on the faults of omission, but he is certainly 
too long; three-quarters of an hour in the evening is too 
much, and then there is so much in his sermons; it would 
be better to divide them up into three, fifteen minutes each. 
I am positive they would have twice the effect. Let us make 
it a rule in the Brotherhood that no sermon shall exceed 
fifteen minutes. They sang one of my favorite hymns, 
'Hark, Hark, My Soul.' What a power music is! Shall I 
bring out a selection of church music for 'our choir?' If so, 
what? How about 'our' Library? That is a very important 
thing; we can't get on without books. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"OuiNOUAGESiMA, February 27, 1876. 

"AIy Dear Francis: 

". . . Our lectures are very interesting now, and I 
enjoy Liddon very much more this term than I did the last. 
The Oxford men all have a certain mannerism to which one 
must get accustomed. I can see you smile incredulously at 
the suggestion of any imperfection in Liddon. I do not 
think his mannerisms altogether objectionable, for it is a 
great comfort to feel that such men have their little failings. 

87 



* Rev. Clarence Woodman, at that time a student of the General 
Theological Seminary, N. Y., afterwards joined the Church and became 
a Paulist. 

88 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Liddon invariably says jest instead of jmt, and in lectur- 
ing he stutters and repeats the same thing over and over 
again, apparently waiting for a happy expression to follow 
out the thought. Of course, his sermons being written, 
there is no such defect. Dr. King,, too, stutters in exactly 
the same way. It is very pleasing withal. Apparently all 
Englishmen have it more or less. But don't think that I am 
depreciating them, far from it, only it is 'jest' as well for 
you not to idealize too tremendously. 

"I haven't had my promised walk with Liddon yet; the 
weather has been disagreeable, the walking wretched. I 
know by experience he is far above caring about either, and 
so am waiting for a good day. 

"Dr. King is giving us good lectures on the Apostolic 
Succession, Archbishop Parker's consecration, etc. ; the Ro- 
man Catholics' objections and how to refute them, espe- 
cially from their own writers. It is certainly most scholarly 
and impressive to quote by reading from the books quoted 
in the original language. Had Woodman* been thoroughly 
grounded, he couldn't have the impudence to say diat he 
could not look upon us as anything but laymen. That Nag's 
Head story is the most palpably absurd thing ever in- 
vented. It is astonishing how Roman Catholic scholars, up 
to this day for the most part, implicitly accept it, and hand 
it down in their writings. The fact of Lingard rejecting it 
is almost authority enough, did not the various registers at 
Lambeth and different Cathedrals and State records prove I' 

the true consecration most convincingly. Considering that 



i' 






LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

we all stand upon it, I think the clergy as a rule are culpably 
ignorant.* 

"The Archbishop of Canterbury has been, as usual, talk- 
ing in the most absurd and ignorant way about reunion with 
Dissenters. The other day at Convocation he talked a lot 
of bosh about Apostolic Succession of the Lutherans and 
the Swedish and Danish churches. It is a wonder he didn't 
mention our Methodist Episcopals; they have bishops, too, 
by name. In fact he did speak about the three bodies of 
the American Church, whatever that may mean — I don't 
know I am sure. He cannot mean high, low and broad, for 
he certainly has no desire for union with the high. It is 
sad such an old Erastian should be a Primate. He is doing 
his very best, although he cannot understand it, to under- 
mine both Church and State, for they will certainly fall 
together. Mr. Boddington, one of the Missioners who was 
here, is to be tried in his, the Archbishop's court, for ritual- 
ism. I think he is able to defend himself pretty well. I do 
wish, though, they would try such a man as Liddon or 
Canon Gregory, but that, apparently, is not the Archbishop's 
line. They couldn't advertise Catholicism better, and you 
know Dr. Seymour's expression about the blood of the 
martyrs, etc. 

"I am afraid this Lent will be too enjoyable for me, there 
are to be such good preachers. The Bampton lecturer is 
the Bishop of Derry, Dr. Alexander, the only Irish Bishop 
who voted for the Athanasian creed, I believe. They say 



* Whatever credence Catholic writers have given to the Nag's 
Head story, the truth or falsity of the same in no way affects the 
incontrovertible arguments adduced against the validity of Anglican 
orders. 

89 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

he is exceedingly eloquent. The lectures take place every 
Sunday morning- in Lent in the University Church. 

"Dr. King preached this morning at the Cathedral on 
fasting. The opening part was admirable, but alas, he is 
far too charitable, for he qualifies so^ much that every man, 
woman and child could make a loop-hole through which to 
escape. I was disappointed, for I wanted someone who 
shall be nameless to have a good sermon on the subject. 
They sang a beautiful Te Deum by Mendelssohn. 

''Did I tell you that I go every Thursday to have a lesson 
in intoning from the Rev. Mr. Hilton, a fellow oi Christ 
Church? I get on pretty well. I have a tendency to slide 
up my first note at the beginning of a sentence, still I hope 
practice will cure the defect. ... 

'T have decided not to have anything to do with the work 
over on Avenue C, or the Sisters there. What a change of 
plans ! All seems to be working for my end, however, for 
if I had gotten very much interested there, how could I ever 
leave it when our Society starts. But now, perhaps, I shall 
have a little country parish, a few poor sheep to tend — how 
lovely that sounds — and there are sure to be a few wolves 
disguised among them. Well, I shall tend those few poor 
sheep and have time to devote to- prayer, meditation and 
study. I suppose you are up in arms against me and are 
saying : 'Oh, he has gone back on himself and doesn't want 
to work; grown lazy and spoiled.' Quite wrong in each 
particular, I assure you — but all in good time. I am so 
afraid sometimes, that you are only jesting about our plans 
when I am dead in earnest. At all events. Dr. King says it 
is not ridiculous, and I can't tell you what comfort that is 
to me. "Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 

90 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

''31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"March 16, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

"... I cannot believe it is so late in the year. All 
the lectures are over for the Lent term, although Liddon is 
to give us two or three extra ones this week, as he wants to 
get through the Ephesians this year before the long vaca- 
tion. Dr. King's upon the requirements for the priesthood 
have been very interesting this last week. He took St. 
Gregory on the Pastoral care, St. Ambrose on the priest- 
hood, and St. Chrysostom on the same. He took them in 
turn, giving a day to each. They are, as you know, very 
tremendous on the subject, especially in the Eucharistic as- 
pect. He concluded with an extract from St. Gregory 
Nazianzen. I am sorry to say the men pay very little atten- 
tion, but read all the time — at least those in the room where 
we were. I am sure the majority are mere Erastians,* go- 
ing in to please their families, etc. I was in hopes it had 
died out, but am convinced of my mistake. One excuse is, 
I suppose, that coming ,to the lecture, as they do, in the 
midst of their ordinary University course, they know noth- 
ing at all about Ecclesiastical History or the Church itself, 
and so cannot be expected to care much about the opinion 
of writers of whom they are ignorant. Good seminarians 
are certainly desirable, if for nothing else, to make a break 
between the life of the University and that of priests or 
deacons; otherwise the transition is altogether too sudden. 

"Dr. King's Eriday Conferences came to a close last 



* "With Froude, Erastianism — that is, the union (so he viewed it) 
of Church and State — was the parent ... of liberalism." — New- 
man's Apologia, Part IV, 

91 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

week. Literally the room was crowded, and men, as usual, 
standing. They seem to be a different set of men from 
those who attend the lectures. The Doctor was grand. We 
are going to hear him to-night at St. Barnabas' ; I wish it 
were not so far away, as I enjoy the service there so much. 

"We went this morning to hear the first Bampton lecture. 
The Bishop of Derry is a splendid man, and we were both 
delighted with him. The subject is the 'Messianic Psalms.' 
The lecture was. on the 22nd. It was beautiful. He is 
quite old, but his voice clear and sympathetic. We were, as 
usual, fortunate in having such a lecturer for the year. Mr. 
Mylne, Bishop designated to Bombay, preached last 
Wednesday night upon 'Spiritual Progress.' He was quite 
good, but rather slow. He did not hesitate, yet seemed to 
weigh each w^ord before uttering it, which rather spoiled 
the effect. 

'T think I have heard Father Benson too often, for he 
palls upon one a little ; he is too severe and hard, and takes 
too gloomy a view of the state of mankind in general. It 
is the way with monks. They wind themselves up beyond 
the level of ordinary mortals, arid then look down with 
scorn upon the efforts of the poor ones who must live in 
the world, however much they may be trying not to be of 
it. If we want to reach the hearts of the multitude, we 
must be gentle and loving and sympathetic, and that monks 
cannot be as a general rule, for their vocation is to live apart 
from their fellows and even themselves. 

"It is a relief to turn to the gentle Dr. King, whose in- 
fluence is wonderful. I couldn't possibly be striving for a 
more difficult thing than to be gentle, forbearing and sym- 
pathetic; for you know that, in general, I have a certain 
amount of reserve and an immense amount of pride and 
disagreeableness. Still I am convinced it is the way. 

92 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

"You speak about my coming to Hoboken. What does 
Mr. P. say ? Or is he willing to take curates ad lib. ? It 
would be a good beginning for the Society of the Holy 
Cross. 

"I went on Friday to take my intoning lesson in the 
Cathedral. It is rather trying to one's voice, as Hilton puts 
me under the lantern tower and himself at the worst point 
for hearing. By way of variety, I sharped a little instead 
of flatting. I have bought a pitch pipe. You would be quite 
horrified at the number of my books. Tell me of any in 
particular you think would be useful, and do tell me about 
the Fathers we certainly must have. 

''My sister tells me of my mother's reason for advising 
me to stay abroad — to keep me from the Sisters. She does 
not dream of the Society of the Holy Cross. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 
"Mid-Lent Sunday, March 26, 1876. 

"My Dear Francis: 

". . . Nothing very interesting is going on here ; 
time, as usual, is passing very quickly. The term is over, 
and the city is very quiet. We have had two of the eight 
Bampton lectures, which were very fine. Perhaps you may 
hear some of them, as they will be resumed after Easter. 

"I go, as usual, to the Mission House every morning at 
six, but am getting bravely over my fancy for their phase 
of the religious life. I want something a little broader. I 
should hate to be a mere machine. 

"In the afternoon I had a treat — Liddon at St. Paul's, 

93 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



on the Personality of Satan. I had a splendid seat and en- 
joyed myself immensely. Of course he was grand; calls 
the evil one Sattan, and so do most people here. He was 
very eloquent, and drew an immense crowd. The next day 
I went to St. Alban's, as I had a letter of introduction to 
Mr. Maconochie from Father Benson, but after I got nearly 
there, I thought how wrong it was to take a priest's time in 
Passiontide, and I said so to Mr. M. He was very polite 
and asked me to go there any time at one, and lunch, as I 
should be sure to find him at home. Of course he was very 
busy, and so I took my leave. 

''I went to Even-song at St. Andrew's, Well street, where 
Barnby is organist, and where they are supposed to have 
the best singing in Europe. The chanting was splendid ; so 
precise and steady, but the anthem, a beautiful one — 'O 
daughters of Jerusalem' — was marred by the solo treble 
boy having a horrible cold. 

''You don't know how you have misjudged me if you 
fancy that I am aristocratic with poor people. Burgess is 
constantly telling me that I err on the opposite side, and am 
too easy and familiar with them. And as to children, I have 
grown to love them. My nature, perhaps, has changed un- 
der Dr. King's influence. My only wish is to work among 
the poor. Burgess says that I carry it to such an extreme 
that one would think that the rich ought not to be preached 
to at all. Do you imagine that I have become puffed up 
since I have been here ? Oh, no' ! Or did you fancy because 
I spoke of not going to Avenue C that I was beginning to 
repent of my determination to go among the poor and the 
uncared for? . . . 

'T have not been at all s-^tisfied with this Lent. I have 
not made progress, I grie\e to say, but have had a long 

94 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

Spell of dryness. It was good for me, no doubt, as it helped 
to save me from pride and presumption, which, alas, I had 
fallen into, I fear. It is a temptation, but it is hard to be 
spiritually dry. I hope now that the worst is over, and that 
Easter will bring me peace. I feel utterly fagged out and 
good for nothing. I went up to London, hoping the change 
would set me up, but it has only made me more tired. 

''Mr. Lang came for us to go rowing yesterday, as it is 
much nicer for them to have me to steer them. I went, al- 
though really I have not strength enough, and they always 
expect me to do some rowing. In Lent one has not much 
extra strength. Fasting doesn't make me cross, and I find 
that I shall be able to manage High Oelebrations very well ; 
still one doesn't have much energy. The air here is not 
bracing as at home. Spring is now here, and the birds sing 
most delightfully. There are quantities of larks. Today 
has been very warm; the hedges will soon be in bloom, and 
the country will be lovely. I do enjoy the country so much. 

'T should like to have some work to relieve the monotony 
of study. Dr. King preached to-night, Wednesday, an ex- 
cellent sermon: 'Rest after labor, and sympathy for others.' 
I long for you to hear him. 

"I looked at some of the Arundel Society pictures in 
London. I liked one of Perugino's, Raphael's master, you 
know ; it is in three compartments : central one, Our Lord 
on the Cross, with one figxu'e at the foot; the side ones, 
each, two figures gazing at Him. I have often admired it 
at Dr. King's. There is another by Fra Angelico, but it has 
too many Popey people in it. Would you buy the first, 
and brass cross and candle-sticks for our private monastery 
chapel? . . . "Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.^^ 
95 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"Easter Day, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

". . . An Easter greeting to you. What a comfort 
it is to reach Easter after the long, long fast. Well, upon 
the whole, I think Holy Week was a very profitable one for 
me. We revelled in having a great deal of Dr. King. He 
gave beautiful Meditations on the Mondays, Tuesdays and 
Wednesdays, upon the types of the Old Testament, select- 
ing the Tree of Life, the Sacrifice of Abraham and the 
Brazen Serpent, subjects that actually suit his devotional 
mind. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday he preached in 
the evening at the Cathedral — of course, equally well I was 
to have gone with him on Friday to- Abingdon, but there 
was a misunderstanding about the hour, and I missed him. 
However, I was quite reconciled to the disappointment by 
the thought that there would have been too much pleasure 
in being with and hearing Dr. King on Good Friday. I 
went instead to the Cowley Fathers' Church. Father Ben- 
son made the address on the Seven Last Words, and was 
particularly good. There was a large congregation. The 
service was wonderfully melancholic. The whole choir was 
hung in black, the altar perfectly black, not even relieved by 
any white. The exercises began in the morning with a med- 
itation at 7.30; then there was a children's service, followed 
by Matins and the Seven Words. 

"For three hours the bell at the Mission House tolled 
every minute, and from two to three the church bell also. 
The day itself was gloomy. I never heard anything like 
the whistling of the wind the night before; there was a 
heavy fall of snow, and it was bitterly cold, altogether cal- 
culated to make one exceedingly mournful. By the evening 

96 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

the snow had completely vanished, and it had become mild 
and pleasant. 

*'We had also an appropriate service on Easter Eve. The 
church was prettily decorated, and the music joyful and in- 
spiriting. Father Benson, however, gave us a very wofiil 
sermon, in which he told us we must go through the world 
like the corpses that we are. I could not agree with his 
gloomy views of the Christian life. It is one thing to be 
dead unto sin, and quite another to be forever storming and 
raging against the world, which we must abandon, alas, to 
the unconverted sinners, if all the true followers of Our 
Lord leave them to themselves. Dr. King preached a splen- 
did sermon at the Cathedral, but the service was miserably 
cold and un-Easterlike. I got to the Cowley Fathers' in 
time for the Celebration, and afterwards went to the Mis- 
sion House to dinner, at Father Benson's invitation. 

"In the evening I went to St. Barnabas', where they had 
a grand Te Deum, such as I described to you at the end of 
the I\Iission. There was an immense procession, in which 
all the Sunday-school children took part, and, although it 
extended all around the church, there was not the slightest 
confusion. But I am writing all this one week after the 
date, to-day being Low Sunday. I can scarcely realize that 
it is only a week since then, but I really despair of ever 
finishing this letter, as this is my third attempt. I must tell 
you one very good reason why I was interrupted. I have 
taken a little jaunt this week, and where do you suppose I 
went to? Stoke-on-Tern, where the Society of the Holy 
Ghost abides. I went very boldly, unannounced, as I thought 
it better, and had no time to wait for a letter to be an- 
swered ; moreover, if they would not show hospitality, I 
should know what to think of them ; but I have no charge 

97 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



of that kind to make against them. It was a four hours' 
journey by rail. Jyst as I reached the last junction I spied 
a little crowd of cassocked and cloaked creatures, and I 
guessed correctly that they belonged to Stoke. When we 
got to the station I marched boldly to the crowd and asked 
if Father Bicknall were there. Luckily he was. I said that 
Canon King had commended me to him, etc., and was very 
warmly received by him. They had all been off on an ex- 
cursion to celebrate the Easter festival. Stoke can scarcely 
be defined by the name of a village, for it is hardly a ham- 
let, yet there is a handsome stone church, large and lately 
restored. The rectory is a huge house for such a tiny 
parish, with beautiful grounds, a succession of terraced 
lawns sloping down to a little stream, and the churchyard 
adjoining. The house seemed just fitted for what it is now 
used. There are six Fathers, two were away, one being 
the Superior, Father Corbet, a fine man, they say. I was 
charmed with Father Bicknall; he js so unaffected and 
pleasant, and seems tO' be really fatherly. I liked another 
one very much, Father Douglas, a genuine, whole-souled 
creature. There are besides five or six lay brothers. They 
are pretty advanced in ritual and have holy water for cross- 
ing, etc. The great objection I find is that they have no 
definite aim at present, except community life and individ- 
ual perfection. To be sure they do give occasional retreats, 
still home life seems to be their aim. Now, of course, one 
must, and one ought to, aim at one's own perfection, still I 
cannot help feeling and saying that it seems to me some- 
what too narrow and selfish an aim. At least, I could not 
be happy there. I was really oppressed, or rather depressed, 
during my visit of two and a half days, although the ser- 
\-;ces were bright Easter ones. I don't mean to be con- 

98 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

demning them if they are called to such a life, but only that 
it is not my ideal. 

"The Church is wide enough for all kinds. I was most 

kindly treated and liked them personally, still . In the 

evening from nine to half-past, all the Fathers and lay 
brethren met in the community room for a chat. There 
was one fine-looking lay brother to whom my heart went 
out. Father told me to stay as long as I wanted, but I 
thought it better not to trespass too long upon their hos- 
pitality. He gave me a letter to their curate, who was stay- 
ing in Lichfield, where I was going to see the Cathedral. 
Really I cannot say too much of the kindness with which I 
was treated everywhere. 

"The curate is a very agreeable, little man. The Fathers 
do not care to do' parish work and so engage him for the 
purpose. He has a wife, who is also very pleasant. I dined 
at his mother's afterwards, and we went over the Cathedral 
and library together. It is a very interesting place, built 
partly in 715, and dedicated to St. Chad. We saw that old 
gentleman's gospels in Latin with Anglo-Saxon notes, much 
coveted by the British Museum. It is so encouraging to 
meet Catholics scattered broadcast over the country. It is 
good for them, too, to hear about the United States. 

"I was very glad to get back to Oxford to-day. We had 
a Bampton lecture and a sermon by Canon Light foot. An- 
other to-night by Mr. Mylne, Bishop-elect of Bombay ; very 
excellent. It is splendid to have good churchmen at last for 
Bishops, and such young men too. Not a bit Erastian or 
cowards. I had a most unsettling letter from my mother, 
saying she had bearded the lion, Bishop Potter, in his den, 
and that he had heartily agreed to my staying over here 
until the Autumn to travel with my sister. . . . Lid- 

99 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

don will be in residence in August. . . . My mother 
hopes that I have become moderate. What think you ? Dr. 
King conveys a feeling of safety, in name at least, to her 

mind, but the reality . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

''Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road^ Oxford, 

"May 19, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"... I ought to be willing to make a little sacri- 
fice, to prepare myself for the awful responsibility of taking 
charge of many souls. I should not mind being in the 
countr}^, the people are so much simpler than city people. 
We walked out on Sunday afternoon to Littlemore for Even- 
song. It was a most lovely afternoon, the sky cloudless, 
and the church was much brighter than when I last saw it. 
There was a good congregation, the service choral and well 
sung. The Vicar was rather a depressing little man, and 
to our regret he preached ; he had not much to say nor did 
he say it well. Still one must be charitable, for Dr. King 
told that once when Keble preached for him, an old farmer 
remarked to him afterwards, that 'it was a pity that the old 
gentleman should be allowed to preach.' Think of Keble 
being thus criticised. 

"The Doctor is giving us a very good course of lectures 
on Preaching; of course, coming from such a good preacher 
they fall with double effect. On Friday evenings he is 
treating the Lord's Prayer to a crowded oratory, although 
it is a gay term, given up in great measure to boating. The 
men requested him to make the hour nine instead of eight, 

100 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

to give tlieni a chance to get there. So you see that they 
really enjoy the 'talks.' The Doctor thought seriously of 
not having them on account of the term, but was delighted 
to continue them when they were wanted. ... I mean 
to try and stud}^ very hard though it is discouraging — I 
have such a poor memor}^ I will make a good house Father 
or parish visitor perhaps, which may not require very great 
learning. ... 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

. "May 26, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis: 

". . . Just think what a state I should be in if I were 
going to sail to-morrow, and on some accounts I do wish 
that I were. One reason being that I should see you. . . . 

"How much Keble's life is abused. He seems tO' be used 
by people as an example of combining the worldly and the 
heavenly. Of course it isn't a bit true. Burgess is very 
much afraid of leaving me here on account of the Fathers. 
He seems to imagine that I shall fall an easy victim after 
the fright I gave him last winter when he was away, but I 
don't believe there is any danger ; at any rate my sister will 
soon be over to preserve me from the allurements. Frank- 
ly, though, there is no reason for his fears. I like them 
very well as individuals, and I like the religious life, but 
never would join an English Order or care to be under 
Father Benson. I must say I prefer a limited monarchy to 
an autocracy such as his. 

"We went on Sunday evening to St. Barnabas'. Mr. 

101 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RJENSSELAER 

Holland preached. He is a senior student (fellow) of 
Christ Church, and tutor, and is considered, perhaps, the 
rising man; I believe Dr. Liddon thinks so. I liked him 
very well, though it was not a remarkable sermon in any 
way, but he may have suited himself to the St. Barnabas' 
people and aimed particularly at simiplicity. He is to preach 
at the Cathedral on Sunday, 

"This week there have been quite exciting boat races 
every day. We went three times. The unattached, in whom 
we took special interest on acco^unt of our friend Lang be- 
ing one of the eight, did most wretchedly. Did I tell you 
how they race here? I will repeat anyhow. The river is 
so narrow that ten boats could not possibly go abreast, so 
they row in a string, and the thing to do is to 'bump' the 
one just in front and so work one's way up. They row in 
two divisions, the best ten at 7 P. M., the second best at 
5.30; the head of the second best ten rowing twice, in the 
race at 5.30, and last in the race at 7 P. M. Brasenose came 
off victorious. There is a narrow bank path along which 
the college men run, keeping up with their boats and yelling 
encouragement at the top of their lungs. It is very amus- 
ing indeed to see them. There are a great many people 'up,' 
as those who used to come for Commemoration, now that 
it is closed to the public, come for the races instead. The 
week unfortunately has been cloudy and showery. They have 
been playing cricket matches in Christ Church meadow in 
front of our house every day this week. It seems to me very 
stupid. The men are very swell and come out in a four- 
horse wagon. The Oxford and London coach makes quite 
an excitement when it passes. You know it is driven by 
gentlemen. They always sound their horn when they pass, 
and Burgess laughs because I rush to the window to see it. 

102 



1 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

"We are going on a rowing expedition to-morrow to 
commemorate Burgess's last week-day in Oxford. The 
party is to be the two Langs and ourselves. We start at 
noon and expect to be gone the whole afternoon. We are 
going to surprise them with a very recherche hamper to 
sustain us by the way. Would that you were here tO' help 
us discuss and enjoy it. We like the Langs very much. 

"May 29, 1876. 

"I had to break off and go to a Missionary meeting at 
Corpus Christi College. Bishop Mylne, of Bombay, was to 
address the people. It was quite interesting. You remem- 
ber, he is from Keble College, where I dined with him. He 
is very popular and has had fifteen men promise to gO' out 
to India to w^ork under him. None of them are yet in or- 
ders. The Bishop's idea is to have a sort of Brotherhood 
system ; at least associated work, under his direction, and it 
is owing tO' that he has got so many men. One does dread 
the idea of working all alone so far away. They are to 
agree not to marry for a term of years. . . . 

"On Saturday we had a very jolly time indeed. The 
day passed charmingly without a mishap of any kind. We 
started at 12 and got back at 8 P. M. We took turns in 
rowing and towing the nine miles to^ Abingdon, where there 
is a singular old church with five aisles. It is in good Cath- 
olic hands. There is also a ruined Abbey there. We pic- 
nicked on a very pretty spot by the river side, and enjoyed 
the good things that Mrs. Aldridge had provided for us. 
We all had a very pleasant time. It was certainly very un- 
like the common run of days with me. 

"Yesterday Mr. Holland preached at the Cathedral a very 

103 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

excellent sermon. Dr. King very kindly asked us to take a 
farewell lunch with them. Then we heard the Dean of 
Rochester, Scott (Liddell and Scott, you know). I forgot 
to say Canon Liddon was to have lunched at Dr. King's, but 
was not well. I have been going a good deal to the Cathe- 
dral lately. ... I have been reading Keble's memoirs 
and have been enjoying the Lyra Innocentium. How ex- 
cjuisite those lines upon the death of the New Baptized and 
Disuse of Infant Communion. The last is enough to con- 
vince anyone but an intelligent layman of the beauty and 
need of it. And now there is to be a month of c|uiet all to 
myself, then wandering for two months, and after that 
home. I am sure that I have done right in staying; my sis- 
ter was so disappointed when she thought I would not travel 
with her. 

"The weather is very pleasant now, the country lovely, 
the birds sing more delightfully, and the hawthorn hedges 
and the wild flowers are charming. We heard some cuckoos 
on Saturday and are hoping for the nightingales. 

''Dr. King's lectures on Parochialia are really a help. 

''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.^^ 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 
"Whitsun Eve, June 3, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

". . . You can never make your letters more inter- 
esting than by telling me about your boys and what you are 
doing with and for them. That is the real way to get at the 
older people — through the younger; one can see how nat- 
ural it is too. . . . As to the idea of dying young, one 

104 



1 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

ought not to indulge fancies. For your own dear self, to 
depart and be with Christ, must be better, but for those who 
are left, or would have to be left, it may be more expedient 
for you to tarry. About one thing there can be no doubt ; 
that until He calls we are not to go. We must do all in our 
power to preserve our lives. You, of course, understand 
that I do not mean one is tO' neglect any plain duty or coddle 
himself, but use ordinary and necessary precautions. For 
myself, I do not feel any terror now at the possibility of 
dying, only that I have done and am doing so very, very 
little, and that little so feebly and imperfectly for Him. One 
would like to feel that one has fought the battle before 
reaching the resting place. ... 

"I am very much interested in Keble's Memoirs, although 
I do think that Coleridge makes himself too prominent by 
far. Keble used to take a good many trips for his wife's 
health, didn't he? Or perhaps they seem more frequent by 
reading about them in such close connection in a book. Dr. 
King has been upon Confession in his last two lectures, in- 
troduced by the reading of the Visitation Office. Last night 
we had a choice little conference on 'Thy will be done.' We 
are to have a treat to-morrow ; Dr. Liddon is to preach be- 
fore the University. Was I harsh in telling yon what he 
said about the League of Saint Cross? or did I have the 
tone of T told you so' ? If so, forget and forgive. 

"If you come to Keble you will have great temptation to 
go into the delights of college life. I feel that even I, staid 
and old as I am, could very easily be led away by them ; not 
that they are in any way sinful, but only not exactly a help 
to spirituality. I do not mean to speak of Keble especially, 
but college life in general — unattached. I don't like it at 
all — lectures and no congenial society — nor do I think Cow- 

105 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

ley and college at the same time a desirable mixture, but 
more of that hereafter. As to being allowed to work in a 
London parish, I am sure there would be no difficulty, for 
they are always glad of helpers, especially if you didn't 
need a stipend. I am rather lonely, but am sure it is good 
training for me. Let me hear from, you as often as you 
can ; write scraps in pencil in any kind of way, they will al- 
ways be most acceptable. . . . 

"You know well that I should love to be with you at the 
Monastery next winter — if you are there. Do pray for me 
that I may not waste this summer; not that travelling is a 
waste of time, but there are so many and great temptations 
in travelling that one finds many excuses for neglecting 
'exercises' and church duties. And now for the present 
farewell. Let us continue and increase our prayers for the 
L. S .C. . . . 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 
"Eve of Trinity Sunday, June 10, 187G. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"... Dr. Liddon preached a beautiful sermon last 
Sunday before the University. I am going to send you the 
paper which has it, though very much of the charm is in 
the man himself. His red Doctor's gown was very becom- 
ing. I had a delightful w^alk with him on Friday; he was 
very agreeable. I asked him a good deal about the Roman 
question, as it has been brought before me lately by the per- 
version of a friend of Lang's. The Doctor, of course, was 
very satisfactory. 'Did you ever read "Loss and Gain," by 

106 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

John Henry Newman? If not I shouldn't advise you to 
do so/ said the Doctor. But the way it came up was, he 
took me to see St. Bartholomew's Chapel, which is men- 
tioned in that work. It is such a disgrace to Oriel. The 
religious house, of which this was the chapel, was sup- 
pressed and given to Oriel. The chapel, a pretty stone one, 
of very good style, is used by the tenant, a farmer, for rub- 
bish. Think of the desecration ! The elevation for the altar 
is still there; the chancel steps, the gravestones, the rood- 
screen still stand, but the whole of the sacred place is filled 
wnth old wagon wheels, doors, barrels, etc. Isn't it shock- 
ing? The Doctor said it is the kind of place that would 
suit our purpose, referring to the League of Saint Cross, 
which he had not forgotten, although I had not mentioned 
it again. He is so kind and considerate. He asked me if I 
would not ever come to England again, and when I said I 
thought not, he said he was sorry, and asked me particu- 
larly to let him know about my ordination — all this spon- 
taneously. I had not been speaking of it at all, and he did 
it in the midst of our walk, and not merely when he was 
saying good-bye. He said he would be in Oxford ten days 
longer, and if I would look him up he would be happy to 
take another walk. Now I tell you all this not from any 
feeling of conceit, but just to show you how kind he is. He 
seems to be rather provoked at Dr. Nevins' Preface to the 
Bonn Conference, as he alludes in it very disparagingly to 
Dr. Pusey. I hope that Dr. Nevins will not be at Bonn 
this year, but some one who really understands the im- 
portance of the subject. 

''Dr. King criticised one of my sermons most carefully. 
He does take so much trouble; he analyzed it and paged it 
and read it three times; marked the good points and the 

107 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

weak ones. He thinks that Dr. Pusey is the best example 
of style for me to study. I am quite pleased. What Lmost 
lack is analysis and due proportion. 

"On Tuesday is the Cuddesdon Festival, and Dr. King 
has got me an invitation. I went to his last lecture on 
Saturday; he has been dwelling upon the good points of 
the sectarian bodies and urging us to develop those same 
points in the Church — the personal holiness they so' desire, 
the closer feeling of brotherhood of the Congregationalists, 
and their longing for an immediate union' with Our Lord 
— all of which the Church, of course, ought to and does 
supply. No wonder right-minded and earnest people de- 
tested the cold Erastianism of the last century; but surely 
the time has come for the Church to try and bring back 
her wandering children. If only Roman Catholics in power 
were like the men we read about with such intense interest, 
how might we hope for unity ; but alas, the Vaticanists are 
too hideous in some of their teaching. The notices or books 
of devotion for the month of Mary lead one almost to despair 
of their ever being brought back from their Saint- worship 
to the worship of Him who is Himself the Brother, the 
Friend of sinners, and not the angry Son of a merciful, for- 
giving Mother. I read with great interest Mr. Oxenham's 
Preface to Dr. Dollinger's lectures on the reunion of the 
Churches. By the way, it was dedicated by Mr. Oxenham 
to Liddon. I asked the Doctor about it, and he said Roman 
Catholics were very angr)^ at it and had sat upon Mr. 
Oxenham in consequence. The Doctor said he was afraid 
that Mr. Oxenham had gone back a little in the last year 
— certainly the preface was wonderfully liberal. Let us 
pray that there may be thousands of others like him, long- 
ing for unity. Do you pray for it ? I think that we ought 

108 



1 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

to teach people the necessity for intercessory prayer more 
than we do. It is a thing about which there is most woful 
ignorance, even with myself, until very lately, not wilfully 
but because I knew no better. 

''There have been two interesting lectures on India by 
the Professor of Sanskrit. Really the way that an edu- 
cated Brahman explains their idolatry is identically the 
same as the Roman Catholics'. Apparently they, too, have 
vague ideas about the Trinity, and the need of an incarna- 
tion of God. It is most interesting. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

"June 17, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"For the last time do I write you from Oxford. By 
Saturday next, I hope my sister will be safely here. I sup- 
pose I am the most absurd person, but really I have not the 
least desire to go travelling this summer, not the least. 
Oughtn't I to be ashamed of myself not to appreciate the 
opportunities that are given me? Well, I am ashamed, but 
I cannot excite the smallest enthusiasm. Perhaps, though, 
when my sister is with me, it will be different. At any rate 
I have no intention of putting any damper upon her enjoy- 
ment by seeming uninterested or bored. It is not that I am 
lazy and don't w^ant to move, for I should like to have some 
active work. The dangers of travelling are fearful. I don't 
mean the risk of one's life, physical life, but the spiritual. 
It is so extremely easy to omit one's duties. I suppose a 
good way to keep them is not to have too many, but to be 

lOD 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

very particular about those rules you do make. Dr. King 
made some very sensible remarks apropos of this last night 
— that it is much better to propose to read one book, and 
do it, than to lug about in one's bag a small library. 

''I dined at Exeter College on Sunday and went to Com- 
pline in the rooms of my host. It is very helpful to see a 
lo't of University men not ashamed but glad to meet for 
extra prayers. 

"I went over to Cuddesdon on Tuesday for the festival. 
It was silly for me to go on an anniversary day, for nat- 
urally everyone had his friends to look after, and so I felt 
rather in the way; not that anything was done to make me 
feel so. There was a surpliced procession of about one hun- 
dred and fifty men, headed by a dross bearer and followed 
by a chaplain with the pastoral staff and the Lord Bishops 
of Oxford and Maritzburg. They sang as they walked 
from the college to the parish church. After the service of 
Matins there was a luncheon in a tent on the lawm. 
They certainly have w^onderfully good officers at Cuddes- 
don; Dr. King, Dr. Liddon, who w^as vice-president for 
five years, and now Canon Furse, who is a splendid 
man. They only have three officers, president, vice-presi- 
dent and chaplain. They generally have about twenty men, 
and the term is only one year. Certainly the men they turn 
out are excellent specimens. I have met a good many at 
Dr. King's, who all say it was the happiest year of their 
lives. They have good buildings and chapel and library. 
It is in a very quiet little village, seven and a half miles 
from Oxford. The atmosphere is thoroughly Catholic, and 
the president, vice-president and chaplain are all of one 
mind; so naturally the influence is both strong and good. 
After the festival they have a retreat for old students, of 

110 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

whom there were a great many present. It really made me 
envious. Would that the G. T. S. could become more like 
it ! How wonderful it would be ! Perhaps the little League 
of Saint Cross may be able to help a few along. Let us 
hope at any rate and pray. 

''I should like to know what is to become of yourself and 
myself. One cannot forecast at all. If it so happens that 
for a time we may not be able to live together, I see no 
reason why a solemn league and covenant might not be made 
by which we could agree to meet if possible at one of our 
rectories for mutual counsel and encouragement, and per- 
haps for a retreat. AVhy, at least, shouldn't we have an as- 
sociation of prayer called the League of St. Cross, and about 
which there need be no secret? It is a great thing to get 
people to help us with their prayers. I am the precipitate 
one, am I not? 

"Which would be a good motto? Galatians, VI, 14, 
either whole, or first or latter half ; or Galatians, II, 20 ; or 
Philippians, IV, 13 ; or the old Oratorian one, ''Omnia ves- 
tra in caritate fiant?'* What do you say to a cross with a 
motto for associates ? Tell me which motto you prefer, or 
suggest others. ''Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



* The passages taken from the Protestant version and referred to as 
suitable for a motto for the projected League of Saint Cross, or So- 
ciety of the Holy Cross, are : 

"But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the 
world." 

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by 
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Ill 4 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 
T T ^r-.„ Rpn^elaer's only immarried sister came 

of the trip through England and Scotland. 



"Windermere, 

"June 25, 1876. 



"MV DEAR FKAKCXS . ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ 

■ V ' u T Ipft Oxford on Friday for Liverpool, 

and so far, so well. ^ ^^^ ™'^,?" ^^Hved It was very 
and on Saturday, at "o-"' ^^e Scythia amved. ^^ ^^^ ^^^_ 

pleasant to see so many home face ^-J q^,, f^^. 

L, in my smallest mece, a very Jeaut.ful child. ^^ ^^^^ 

ily party broke up. P-^^-f^^^^^f ^^ear tot my sister 
Lake districts. You will be amusea Tyng's new 

and I have, as ^^ ^^^J^'T^"^^ ^^ very 
associate rector, Di. ^'"'f "''•'' ;„sincr to himself the 
n.uch on the steamer ^-^^^^^ ^^ IJf^Sght it would be 
sam* tour asmy s>ster and I so we t ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^_ 

pleasant to join company, =^«^'^f;\7^"^'^,,ient churchman in 
five, and is very companionab e, ^^^j^h a Virginian, 
many respects, and very liberal. He >«^by ^.rt J ^^^^ 
has had a parish at Georgetown D- C., fo^ te J ^^^ 

regrets the lack of chvirch discipline 2:^^J^^^^,^ ,, have 
really some excellent ideas upon the subjects 
chsc4sed;thatis,hehasalwaysi^^ 
any persons to^ be sponsois unless tney 
Good and brave, isn't it? loveliest place 



I 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

hotel on a hill overlooking the lake, beautiful trees, flower- 
ing shrubs on all sides, the water blue. There is a quaint 
old church here, prettily decorated, surpliced choir, etc. We 
were so disappointed to find that there had been a Celebra- 
tion at 9. We asked at the hotel, and they said there was 
no service until 10.45. 

"I went yesterday to an early Celebration at St. Mar- 
garet's, Liverpool — a beautiful chui ch. I never saw one I 
liked better. I must go backward a I'ttle and tell you about 
leaving Oxford. I went to the Commemoration on Wednes- 
day, and it is a stupid enoug'h affair, I asure you. There 
was some fun, though, before it began. The undergrads 
made funny remarks, and gave cheers for people, etc., Gir- 
ton College (women, you know) among them. The Vice- 
Chancellor made a Latin speech, encouraged by such re- 
marks as 'Cut it short,' 'Wind her up,' etc. When he con- 
ferred D. C. L.'s, he had to repeat the same form of words 
about ten times, and after doing it once or twice he was told 
not to do it again. The poor old gentleman didn't exactly 
enjoy it, and whenever a popular man got the D. C. L. the 
wretched undergraduates would cap the Vice-Chancellor's 
speech with a chorus of 'For he's a jolly good fellow,' etc., 
and it was very funny. By far the best looking man who 
received the degree was Lieutenant Cameron, of African 
fame. He really was intelligent looking. Some of the others 
looked as though they had been brought up on Latin and 
Greek roots, and the diet had not agreed with them. The 
Bishop of Derry was an exception. 

"I must tell you about Liddon. He told his class if they 
wanted the conclusion of his analysis to go to his rooms on 
Tuesday. So I went. I was going to say good-bye, but he 
asked me if I wouldn't like to walk. Of course I did, so we 

113 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

went out walking. He again alluded to the League of 
Saint Cross of his own accord, and wanted to know if we 
couldn't start by having a clergy house; so you see he would 
seem, to approve oif our beginning at once. I suggested an 
association of prayer, which he thought would be excellent. 
He promised to compose a prayer for us to use, if I should 
write and tell him what we wanted. He takes great interest 
in our spiritual welfare. Why shouldn't we have an asso- 
ciation? Did I speak of it in my last letter? One of our 
friends wrote that he had a strong longing for the Religious 
life, but would not allow himself to think about it for sev- 
eral years, which would amount to his being engaged in the 
meanwhile, if not married. Now, we ought toi see what we 
can do to help each other along ; he mi^ht be very useful in 
the L. S. C. Why sho'uldn't we have a form of prayer and 
intercession and a few rules like those of the Brotherhood 
of the Holy Trinity at Oxford and Cambridge? They are 
not severe and are good for a beginning. Then, if we could 
meet each other occasionally, at least once a year, for a re- 
treat and a conference, in a little while we might try in good 
earnest. I feel sure that there must be many other men like 
ourselves, only waiting for something tO' turn up and help 
them. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry." 



"Melrose, 
"St. Peter's Day, June 29, 1876. 
"My Dear Francis : 

"I did hope tO' have sent this off l>efore now, but one has 
so vGry little time in travelling, and we are travelling with a 

114 



LETTERS FRO?J OXFORD 

vengeance. To-morrow night we hope to be in England 
again. I am sorry to say that the saying — Vappetit vient 
en mangeant — in my case, is untrue of travelhng; for the 
more I travel the less I care for it. I cannot get up any ex- 
citement at all, and it is really most tiresome to me. My 
sister and Dr. Williams enjoy it all immensely. On some 
accounts I would just as lief not have him. My sister says 
it is fortunate that he is with us, as I should be tempted to 
hurry her past a great many interesting places, which is 
rather mean, considering that I am here entirely on her 
account. 

"We saw the English lakes under the most favorable con- 
ditions; shed some tears over Wordsworth, Southey, etc., 
and came to Edinburgh. Holyrood, of course, is very in- 
teresting, but I hate to be in Scotland on account of the pre- 
vaihng religion. Everything speaks to me of desecration, 
ruined abbeys, or, sadder yet, cathedrals and churches trans- 
formed into kirks and meeting-houses. No doubt the monks 

were bad, but ^^and to think of people daring to destroy 

the houses of God, and to use the materials to build them- 
selves houses — how dare they do it ? No, I may be narrow- 
minded, but it is a fact all the same, that I cannot see any- 
thing nowadays except in connection with the Church and 
the Church's Head. 

"On Tuesday we went to Roslyn Chapel, a most exquisite 
thing, built in the fifteenth century, apparently regardless 
of expense, entirely of stone; every stone, almost, beauti- 
fully carved. It is really a wonderful piece of work. In 
those days nothing was too rich or too' expensive for the 
glory of God. The present Earl of Roslyn, a Catholic (not 
j^^oman Catholic) has restored it to the service and 'ad ma- 
jorem Dei gloriam,' as he calls it — keeps a chaplain and has 

115 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



the chapel properly equipped, cross, candles, etc., and ser- 
vices, although he does not himself live near. It is encour- 
aging in such a dead level of Presbyterianism. 

"This morning we went to an early Celebration of All 
Saints' Cathedral, Edinburgh. It is Catholic too. They 
used the Scotch Liturgy, which is more like the Roman 
than ours. The Consecration and oblation come first, then 
the prayer for the Church and the Lord's Prayer before 
Communion. I rather like it. Yesterday we made a tour 
of the Scotch lakes, Lomond and Katrine, and Stiding 
Castle, and to-day we have been to^ the Abbey here and to 
Dryburgh. The latter is most beautiful, although very ruin- 
ous, and is situated in the midst of exclusive grounds. Sir 
Walter Scott is buried in one of the ruined chapels ; but it is 
altogether sad to my mind tO' see such ruins. To-morrow 
morning we gO' to Abbotsford, and then on to Durham and 
York, etc. 

"Perhaps you will be glad to hear that I have taken our 
passage for September 9th, in the Scythia, and I hope that 
we shall get off then, thoug'h our departure may be post- 
poned until a little later if necessary. I shall be so glad to 
get back. Can't you wait for my return for your retreat at 
Boston, and we shall go together ? 

'T did not tell you about Liddon's farewell. I asked him 
for his blessing, and he not only gave me that, but went up- 
stairs and tried to find a little book of Bishop Andrewes 
on Devotion for the Sick, for which he had written a pref- 
ace. He did not find it, and he brought me 'Some Elements' 
instead. He asked me if I had it ; I said that I had. I didn't 
know what the other book was and rather wanted it. So he 
rummaged round and found a copy, in which he wrote: 
'From his affectionate friend, H. P. Liddon,' and in Greek, 

116 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

'Contend for the faith once dehvered tO' the Saints.' He 
asked me to write to him, as if he really cared to hear, and 
said that I mustn't mind sometimes if he could not always 
answer on account of business. Wasn't it good of him? 
Well, you know, I did hanker for the 'Some Elements' 
dreadfully, but didn't like toi tell him so. The other little 
book is nice, but mostly Bishop Andrewes', which was proba- 
bly the reason why he selected it, being like most truly great 
men — modest. I could not resist writing him a little note 
the next day, asking him if I coiild not have 'Some Ele- 
ments' he had meant to give me. The book came in reply 
with the motto from St. Augustine^ — 'Ama et fac quod vis' 
— and of course my name, and from him. The angelic Dr. 
King gave me a copy of St. Anselm's Meditations, with a 
very touching inscription. My friend Lang gave me 'Prome- 
theus Vinctus,' done into English verse by himself at the 
age of 17. It was quite a wrench for me tO' leave Oxford. 
I have forgotten a most unlooked-for token from my fellow 
boarder. Miss Seal, a beautifully worked chalice veil, cor- 
poral, etc., done by herself, lace and all. I had my photo- 
graph taken for my Oxford friends in ordinary dress ; I will 
send you one. Don't think about St. Clement's, I beg you. 
If you take a holiday do write; have heard nothing more 
about Keble College. 

"Yours affectionately, 

"Henry.^^ 



After the visit to Scotland, the little party then crossed 
over to Holland and Belgium, The Low Countries infected 
Van Rensselaer with malaria, so that, when they got into 
Switzerland via the Rhine he was taken down with a fever. 

117 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

This interrupted his plans somewhat, for towards the close 
of August he was again at Oxford, where he remained until 
his departure -for America a fortnight later. By this time 
he had definitely abandoned his purpose of working among 
the poor on the East Side, but he still clung to the dream of 
founding a religious community that would fill a very notice- 
able gap in the American branch of the Anglican Church. 
He again refers to the subject in these two letters, which 
w^ere the last he wrote from England. 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford^ 
"St. Bartholomew's Day, August 24, 1876. 

"My Dear Francis: 

"I am once more comfortably installed in my old quarters 
here, and it seems natural and pleasant. ... I don't 
see the advantage for you of a year spent working in Lon- 
don as a member of the League of Saint Cross. Of course 
I understand your idea of learning to work among the poor, 
but after all the Oratorian work and .life is not one devoted 
to parish work, but more one to be spent in trying to pro- 
mote spirituality among the seminarians and clergy, one to 
try and raise the tone of the clergy both intellectually and 
spiritually. But how will a year of hard work among the 
poor conduce to fitting you for it ? It strikes me that what 
we need is enough, not overmuch, work, time for medita- 
tion and prayer, and as much retirement as possible. As 
you say, we should not get too much interested in individ- 
uals and places. That was one of my chief reasons for giv- 
ing up Avenue C. I knew I should be much interested, and 
that it would be almost impossible to tear myself away from 
it after having once taken it up. We really ought to exert 

118 



I 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

ourselves to the utmost to be together, and near enough 
New York to have an influence at the General Theological 
Seminary. ... 

"I am sure it will all come out rig'ht, and I have the live- 
liest hopes for the League of Saint Cross. Don't you think 
you have overlooked the main object of 'L'Oratoire' in your 
desire to be an efficient parish priest ? . . . 

"It is very pleasant to be settled again within sound of 
the church bells. I go to a retreat at the Fathers' on Mon- 
day to last until Friday evening. I hope I shall get back 
some spirituality, for I feel so hard and dry now. How 
true it is that if one does not go forward in the spiritual 
life one does not stand still, but goes backward. The retreat 
is to be for priests, so I suppose I shall have to don my 
clericals, cassock at least, so as not to be conspicuous. I 
received a warm welcome from the Fathers and dined there 
yesterday. They never try to convert me: only Father 
Prescott does that. 

"What a work there is to be done, and doesn't it seem 
well nigh presumptuous for us young men to try to do the 
little we can. It would be so indeed if we did not firmly 
believe the truth: *Ye have not chosen me, but I have 
chosen you.' How that alters everything. No longer pre- 
sumptuous, no longer hopeless, but in quiet confidence and 
with an holy boldness, being called, we obey the Master's 
voice. People are sure tO' say: 'You ought to wait for 
some older and more experienced person to lead the way' ; 
but look at the founders of the Religious Orders; none of 
them were old men when they started them. All began 
their work young, even if the completion was long de- 
ferred. . . . "Yours affectionately, 

"Henry/^ 
119 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"31 Iffley Road, Oxford, 

''September 1, 1876. 
''My Dear Francis : 

" . . . I am now writing to you for the very last 
time from Oxford, at least so far as I can tell. This night 
week we shall be in Liverpool ready to sail on Saturday. I 
am sure you are pining to go to New York. Do come on 
to meet me, or if not that, as soon as possible. You may 
have been expecting to hear of Mr. Lowder's decision, but 
you know one can read no letters during retreat, and so I 
did not get his answer until to-day. He says that he is 
sorry that he has no room for you, but advises me to apply 
to Father Benson, who can doubtless assist me to find a 
place. I still cling to the idea of Hoboken. Do you have a 
letter waiting for me at home telling me whether Mr. Weth- 
erill is at the Holy Innocents' or not. If he is I shall go 
over and see him before calling on the Bishop, as jt would 
be well to 'have my plans laid before seeing him. I don't 
think there is a chance of my going back to England, cer- 
tainly not at once; not for any lukewarmness for the in- 
terest of the L. S. C, I assure you. 

"I don't see how its interests will be advanced by such 
a step. I am reading Mrs. Oliphant's Life of St. Francis of 
Assisi, and am almost convinced that his example might be 
followed with advantage in this century. What think you 
of turning Franciscan? I am not jesting, I have really been 
thinking of it; not the Roman Catholic Order, but one like 
it ; yet I fear you will laugh at me and say it does not look 
much like it to be buying lots of clothes and books, etc. It 
is a little contradictory, to be sure. 

"The retreat ended this morning; there were eighteen 
priests and your brother Henry, disguised as a priest in 

120 



LETTERS FROM OXFORD 

cassock and clerical collar. It seemed quite natural for nie. 
Father Benson was the conductor and gave very good ad- 
dresses, although a trifle transcendental. He has a deep in- 
sight into spiritual things. I think, though, that in all my 
Hfe I never passed three longer days. It seemed as if the 
day would never come to an end. There were four ad- 
dresses a day — think of it ! On Wednesday they had special 
services for missions and a litany which seemed perfectly 
endless. You think me very bad, but I can't help it. I am 
afraid I have no vocation for the Evangelist Fathers' life. 
God grant I may have for another phase of the Religious 
life. After being silent all the week, it seemed as if I could 
not sing enough when I got back here. My landlady says 
she likes me to do it. 

" . . . I gave a hint of our plan to Tompkins, who 
takes the greatest possible interest in the League of Saint 
Cross and longs to help us. He already does so with his 
prayers. A lady member of the Confraternity of the Blessed 
Sacrament is his right-hand helper. Poor fellow, he has a 
hard struggle out there in the West. You should hear him 
speak about Sectarianism. It would do your heart good. I 
cannot but feel that, under God, I have had influence on 
him, which only shows how much a little sympathy and 
kindness can effect. Let us be encouraged, dear friend, to 
try what we can do for others. 

"What a delight it will be to see you again, but I also 
dread it too. You may have imagined or hoped that you 
would see a great change for the better in me. Alas ! I fear 
that the improvement is but small, but I do not despair. 

"Yours affectionately, 

*'Henry, L. S. C." 

131 



CHAPTER VII. 



Anglican Deacon. 



IN mid-September Van Rensselaer arrived in America, and 
about a month later, on St. Luke's Day, October 18, 
1876, Bishop Horatio Potter ordained him deacon. He 
had made up his m(ind that he would always teach exactly 
what he believed, and he had quite definite ideas on religious 
matters. Being independent of salary, he determined to 
cast his lot with his friend at the seminary, Francis P. 
Mackall, also' a deacon, whoi had decided to work in the new 
parish of the Holy Innocents, Hoboken. The rector was 
pleased to have their services for nothing, and gave them 
free fling. Opposite the church they took an apartment, 
which they fitted up in monastic style, with a chapel and 
altar. Indoors they always wore cassock and biretta. 

Thus was Van Rensselaer installed in his new field of 
work as an ordained deacon of the Anglican Church in 
America. New experiences crowded in upon him, and all 
the while he was drawing nearer, albeit unconsciously, to 
the truth, the evidences of which could not be long delayed., 
The rector was supposed to be a very high churchman. At 
all events he liked ritualism. To check his exalted views, 
the trustees of the church had named an assistant of the 
lowest type of churchman. The other assistants deemed 
him unorthodox, and with the rector's connivance and co- 
operation, they denounced him to the Bishop of New Jersey, 
Dr. Odenheimer, on the charge of Nestorianism. The 
bishop suspended him. This, however, the good assistant 

132 



ANGLICAN DEACON. 

declared he did not mind, as he was simply relieved of his 
duties. He continued to draw his salary. 

At times there were extravagant exhibitions of ritualism. 

"I shall never forget the midnight mass that Christmas 
in the Holy Innocents," he says. "We were to appear for 
the first time in vestments. As these were tentative, they 
were made of linen. The effect, especially of the dalmatics, 
was startling, and when the choristers beheld us they burst 
out laughing and whispered audibly 'night shirts.' But we 
went out -all the same in solemn procession through the 
church, to the great admiration of the people. 

"Those were wonderful functions of the go-as-you-please 
style, and necessarily so, for the Book of Common Prayer 
makes no provision for such Popish ceremonies. 

"Another sample of the absurdity of ritualism was given 
at a funeral of one of our choristers. We decided to have 
a requiem mass. Of course, there is no provision made in 
the Book of Comrrion Prayer for a mass of any kind, as the 
Articles of Religion in that book denounce masses as an 
abomination and a Popish invention. But such a denuncia- 
tion only whets the desire of a Ritualist. So a mass of 
requiem was to- be sung. But how about vestments ? Our 
church had not risen to the height of colored vestments, ex- 
cept stoles. They had to- be borrowed. We selected violet 
ones as being less lugubrious. Violet ones were, therefore, 
procured for the occasion from a very high church in New 
York. But our troubles did not end with getting vestments. 
How were we to transform the communion service in the 
Prayer Book into a requiem mass? Some parts would do, 
but others were very inappropriate. What connection could 
there be between the dead and the recital of the ten com- 
mandments with the response: *Lord, have mercy upon us 

123 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

and incline our hearts to keep this law' ? So' we eliminated 
the ten commandments. But hoiw about the 'Gloria in 
Excelsis' ? This seemed too joyous, so' out it went from 
our constructed mass. The ceremony, in fact, was a very 
remarkable one and evoked much comment, as well it might, 
for neither celebrant nor assistants knew what was to be 
done, as there were no rubrics in our Prayer Book to direct 
us." 

Life in church matters became rather discouraging for 
Van Rensselaer and Mackall. The assistant minister had 
been evicted, it is true, but there was no responsive chord 
in the congregation. It was dreary, indeed, to say morning 
and evening prayer for one person, and to address this one 
person, a woman, as "dearly beloved brethren." To make 
matters worse they were only a couple of blocks away from 
a Oatholic church. It made them green with envy when 
they saw the crowds that poured into it on Sunday, and 
even on week-days. What a contrast was the Catholic 
Church of Our Lady of Grace to their poor Holy Innocents ! 

The rector was hardly the man to help them in their diffi- 
culties, as may be judged fromi the following incident : — 

''We had a trial in Lent, when the rector slated himself 
for a course of sermons. Perhaps the most read book in 
those days in religious circles was Farrar's 'Life of Christ.' 
There were many cheap editions, and every Protestant 
household was likely to possess a copy. What was our 
dismay when the opening sermon of the course was a chap- 
ter, word for word, from this book, carefully copied and 
read. Now Farrar is absolutely heretical in his teaching 
about the temptations of Christ, stating, as he does, that 
Christ could have sinned. What was to be done to ward off 
the reading of such a doctrine ? It was bad enough to have 

124 



ANGLICAN DEACON. 

any of the book read, for we knew that members of the 
congregation had it at home; and would probably recognize 
the steal. So, as that Sunday he was to dine with us, we 
put our copy of the book, opened at the chapter, in a most 
prominent place. But as it did not seem to attract his at- 
tention, we deliberately brought up the subject of Farrar's 
heretical teaching on that point. The shaft went home. The 
rector became excited and, saying that he had a few finish- 
ing touches to put to that night's sermon, excused himself 
and went home. So that night we had Farrar amended." 

After a couple of months Van Rensselaer became con- 
vinced that the Protestant Episcopal Church had no authori- 
tative teaching, nor the authority to teach. People believed 
as much or as little as they liked. The reading of Allies' 
"See of Peter," which deals with authority and jurisdiction, 
made a serious impression upon him. Newman's "Anglican 
Difficulties" did not improve the Anglican position in his 
eyes. But he was fair and read the other side as well. Hes- 
sey's "Rise of the Papal Power" and Pusey's "Eirenicon" 
were supposed to be antidotes to Allies' "See of Peter" and 
Newman's "Apologia." The more he read the Anglican 
side the more disposed was he tO' the Roman. 

These views were all shared by his clerical friend, to 
whom he had written frequently from Oxford, and who was 
now associated with him, as fellow assistant, at the Holy 
Innocents, Hoboken. Yet they would not make their submis- 
sion to Rome while they had any misgivings as to the step, 
or while there was a single loop-hole of escape. He writes : 

"When our position became unbearable, we turned to 
our erstwhile confessor of seminary days and wrote to him 
of our troubles. The answer was : 'Come on to the Church 
of the Advent in Boston' — where he was the superior and 

125 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

rector. This was the old 'Advent' in Bowdoin Street, not 
the new one of the name in Mt. Vernon Street. So to Bos- 
ton we betook ourselves, my friend and I. We met with a 
warm welcome and the assurance that we had nO' real diffi- 
culties, but that our dissatisfaction was the natural result 
of our being unsucessful in Catholicizing our congrega- 
tion. This did not satisfy our doubts; so we began to 
question some of the other Tathers,' to the chagrin of the 
superior, who made the proud claim that he was the first 
monk ordained in England since the Reformation. Had 
he qualified the assertion by prefixing Protestant to the 
monk, it might have been true. Among the daily prayers 
recited in community was one that struck us as being pecu- 
liar. It was for the restoration of the abbey lands in Eng- 
land. I asked the superior the meaning of the prayer, and 
to whom should the lands, in his estimation, be returned. 
This was an unexpected question, and he was nonplussed 
for a while ; then he said : 'Why, to us, of course ; the 
rightful successors.' This was a Httle too much; so I asked 
in what conceivable way the Cowley Fathers could be the- 
rightful successors of Carthusians, Cistercians, Augustin- 
ians, Franciscans and Dominicans? The only reply was a 
contemptuous 'Bosh !' But he saw clearly that we had diffi- 
culties beyond his reach; so he said we had too strong an 
attack of the Roman fever to be cured by him, and that we 
had better go where we belonged. Yet, his advice would 
be for us to go tO' some congenial parish, where we might 
meet with the success we yearned for. We were really 
docile. My friend was shipped to St. Clement's, Philadel- 
phia, and I to the House of Prayer, Newark. The game 
was to separate us. We made no opposition. 

"I was perfectlv frank with the rector in Newark and 

126 



ANGLICAN DEACON. 

told him exactly the state of my mind, adding that, under 
the circumstances, I did not think I could take any active 
part in the church work. He said that he understood the 
case perfectly, as he had himself passed through the same 
ordeal, and that he would leave me perfectly free ; that he 
had a large controversial library which Avas at my dis- 
posal. So I settled down supposedly to study. In reality 
his intention was to keep me so busy that I should not have 
time to think. Among other things, I was to have charge 
of the men's Bible class. I had not been long in Newark 
when my friend wrote me that his position in Philadelphia 
was unbearable and suggested that he join me. I proposed 
the matter to the rector, and he approved the plan, with a 
full understanding of the state of our minds. So m}-^ friend 
came on to Newark, and we again set up a monastery on a 
small scale. The charge of the Sunday-school was given 
to my friend, and he was kept busy preparing children for 
communion and confirmation. 

''There was a 'mission' given in our church by the Cow- 
ley Fathers, and the well known Father Maturin was the 
chief preacher. He labored manfully to prove the catho- 
licity of the Protestant Episcopal Church, but the cause 
was a hopeless one, and his failure to prove his point a help 
to us. He was unsucessful in his efforts to bring people to 
confession. A handful of women were the only penitents. 
I remember well, on the Sunday afternoon of the mission, 
the members of one of the regiments of Newark, of which 
the rector was chaplain, were invited to attend. I hap- 
pened to be standing just outside the church door in cas- 
sock and biretta. An unmistakable son of Erin sauntered 
up and took off his hat to me. I at once asked him what 
church he attended. He answered that he went to St. 

127 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

James'. I asked him what he was doing at the House of 
Prayer. He said that he thought it no harm. I bade him 
go home. He went. My action in this matter shows how 
the wind was blowing Romeward. The breeze was stif- 
fening." 



I 



128 



CHAPTER VIIL 
His Conversion. 

THE weeks wore on, but no peace came to Henry's mind. 
Catholicism did not seem any more attractive, but 
Protestant Episcopalianism had no more sta3ang power for 
him. It was impossible to continue in such a frame of mind. 
^^'hat was to improve it? Of Rome, personally he knew 
nothing. He had never spoken to a priest on the subject, 
had attended very few Catholic services, and had a mass of 
prejudices against Rome. 

In the story of his conversion Van Rensselaer gives a 
vivid picture of the doubt and torture of a mind on the 
threshold of the Catholic Church. 

"No one," he says, "who has not passed through the ex- 
j^erience can realize the agony of mind of one in the process 
of conversion. The ground seems slipping from his feet, 
and there is no coign of vantage for him. He knows his 
own Church, but he is ignorant of the one he may enter. 
Perhaps he may not be any better satisfied in the new than 
in the old. A\''hy venture in the uncertainty? Besides, by 
leaving his own Church a person cuts loose from all the ties 
that have bound him to relatives and friends, and is thrown 
upon the possible friendship of strangers. Then what a deep 
gulf of prejudices is opened up, and one that may be un- 
l)ridgeable ! How much to hold a doubter back, and what to 
draw him on to take the crucial step! If, after the step is 
taken, he finds out his mistake, how will he ever have the 
courage to acknowledge it and retrace his steps? Then, too, 

129 



LIFE OF HFNRY VAN RENSSELAER 

what an audacious thing it is for him to sit in judgment on 
\Vhat, until then, he has held to be the church of his fathers. 
Is he wiser than they? What a reflection upon their judg- 
ment! What was good enough for them should be good 
enough for him. Then every scandal that can be raked up 
is brought forward as damning proof against the Catholic 
Church. As if, forsooth, the violators of the Church's laws 
could be adduced as witnesses against the laws. Just as if 
the black sheep of the flock was the one by which the whole 
flock should be judged." 

One thing was certain ; it was impossible for Van Rens- 
selaer to continue to act as minister of a Church whose 
claims to be the Church of Christ were more than doubtful. 
He therefore resolved tO' lay aside his charge. His rector, 
unable to convince him, begged him not to go to Rome from 
his church. As he had not been with the rector long enough 
to make any impression upon the congregation, Van Rens- 
selaer agreed to the request. 

He next informed his mother of the probable necessity of 
his becoming a Catholic. She had long been in the habit of 
saying: "You had better go where you belong"; but of 
course when the time came to follow her advice, she felt it 
keenly. She suggested his going back tO' Oxford to see his 
former friends, the canons and professors. He was nothing 
loath, especially if it would give her satisfaction, and he 
explained to her he had no desire at all to gO' over to Rome ; 
quite the contrary, he had no friends in that Church, and 
nothing in it appealed to him except the truth which it 
seemed to possess in its entirety. So to Oxford he went. 
He always regretted that he did not visit Birmingham to 
make a pilgrimage to the Oratory at Edgbaston, where 
Newman was living; undoubtedly the life and writings of 

130 



1 



HIS CONVERSION. 

the cardinal had much effect in leading him to the light. 
The "Apologia" and "Anglican Difficulties" cleared the 
way, which Pusey's "Eirenicon" failed to obstruct again. 

Henry's first visit in Oxford was to Canon King. The 
canon received him as of yore, most cordially, until he 
learned his errand, then he grew sad. Arguments he had 
none, except the special pleading: "Be loyal to your 
Mother." "That," writes Van Rensselaer, "I always was ; 
but that was begging the question. My inquiry was about the 
identity of my Mother, the Church. I had grave doubts 
about the maternal claims of the Church of England and her 
offspring, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United 
States. As the good canon said, my difficulties were his- 
torical, and he did not attempt to answer them, but referred 
me to Canon Bright, my former professor of ecclesiastical 
history. I never called again on my dear old friend, Canon 
King, as I saw that my defection grieved him. Since then 
he has become Anglican Bishop of Lincoln, and has had his 
own troubles with the Court of Arches for ritualistic prac- 
tices. Would that the great St. Hugh o^f Lincoln might ob- 
tain for the nineteenth-century Protestant intruder into his 
ancient see the gift of faith ! Imagine St. Hugh being tried 
by a secular court for wearing a cope and mitre!" 

He next turned his steps to Canon Bright. The canon 
was one of the lecturers whose courses he attended during 
his earlier stay at the great English university. Van Rens- 
selaer describes him as, a very nervous and eccentric man, 
learned but not entertaining. "I never fancied him and 
never counted him among my friends" ; but in the search 
for truth, personal dislikes were repressed. And here fol- 
lows an account of the visit to Canon Bright: — 

"Now it happened that just at that time a controversy 

131 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

was being waged over a book called 'The Priest and Abso- 
lution.' It was in reality an English translation oi a Latin 
manual of moral theology, and intended by the translators 
for the use of 'Anglo-Catholic' priests (?). A low-church 
peer, Earl Redesdale, had produced this book in the House 
of Lo'rds and treated his confreres to choice selections from 
the chapters concerning the commandment which is the 
Catholic sixth, but the Proitestant seventh. 'Such are the 
matters,' quoth the Earl, 'which the parsons, now dubbed 
priests, discuss with your wives and daughters.' Of course 
the insinuation was manifestly unfair. He might as well 
have brought in a medical book and have read passages, 
with the comment that such were the matters that doctors 
discuss with their parents. Nevertheless the shot hit the 
mark, and when the question of confession and absolution 
was put to the vote of the bishops of England they promptly 
disclaimed the doctrine and the practice. At this juncture 
I called on Canon Bright and asked how he accounted for 
the action of the bishops. He answered that if he wanted 
to know anything about the sea, he would not apply for 
information to^ a landsman. I admitted his wisdom in this, 
but failed to see the application. He then explained that 
the bishops knew nothing about confession. 'That's strange,' 
I said. 'H the sc-called priests of the Church of England 
have any power to forgive sins, it must come from the 
bishops. How, then, can it be that the bishops do not recog- 
nize any such power resident in them?' 'Oh,' said the 
canon, 'the Church of England is in a topsy-turvy condi- 
tion.' 'Do you admit that?' I asked. 'Of course I do,' he 
replied. 'Then she cannot be the Church of God,' I an- 
swered. 'For though the Church may contain disorderly 
persons in her borders, she cannot herself be in a state of 

132 



HIS CONVERSION. 

disorder, especially in essential teachings, such as the for- 
giveness of sins.' So, far from holding me back, the canon 
only helped to drive me out of the fold, which v^as becom- 
ing more and more evidently that of the hireling and not of 
the Good Shepherd." 

The visit to^ Oxford, then, had not strengthened the An- 
glican position. Still Van Rensselaer v^as loath to leave the 
Anglican Church v^ithout making one more effort to clear 
up his difficulties, so he next turned to his old friend, Canon 
Liddon, then in residence in Amen Corner, London, v^here 
the Canons of St. Paul's Cathedral lived. 

"The canon," he tells us, 'Svas very friendly and listened 
patiently. It was not a new story for him-. As he admitted, 
he had often travelled the same road himself. But, as he 
asserted, he always managed tO' steady his wavering steps 
by reading the works of the Fathers of the Church. What 
would he advise m,e to do? Read two books, one on either 
side, treating the same texts of Scripture and quotations 
from the Fathers, and then decide for myself which was the 
correct interpreter. Was not this true Protestant theory 
and practice of the rig'ht of private judgment? If he were 
a Catholic priest, would he give such advice? Fancy a 
young man going to a priest and telling him that he was in 
doubt about his faith. Would the priest tell him to read 
Ingersoll and Lambert and then decide for himself? .Would 
he not be bound tO' give reasons for his faith, refute the 
sophisms and bid the young man avoid reading poisonous 
literature, and strengthen his faith by sound books, prayer 
and reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eu- 
charist? Such was not the method of Canon Liddon, but 
he threw me back on my own private judgment. What two 
books would he advise me to read? Hessey's 'Rise of the 

133 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Papal Power,' on the Protestant, and Allies' 'See of Peter' 
on the Catholic side. I 'had already read them both. How- 
ever, perhaps I had not pondered them sufficiently, for I 
had to admit that Allies seemed to be the genuine expounder 
of the texts of Scripture and the Fathers. Canon Liddon 
had, I afterward learned, and as he himself had hinted, 
often been on the .verge of submitting to the authority of 
Rome, and had even consulted Catholic priests about it. 
Did the possession of a Canonry of St. Paul's and a pro- 
fessor's chair in Oxford weigh down the scale on the Angli- 
can side? I did not call again; what was the use? It would 
be a case of the blind leading the blind." 

It should be stated here that Henry had already looked up 
and settled to his satisfaction certain matters of prime im- 
portance. On a visit to the Bodleian Library, before meet- 
ing Dr. King, he recalled the difficulty of Papal Infallibility 
which Dr. Dollinger adduced as a reason for rejecting the 
authority of the Vatican Council. He says : "I turned to the 
chapter on Tapal Supremacy' in the 'Church History,' pub- 
lished by the said Dr. Dollinger in 1845, that is, twenty-five 
years before the definition of Papal Infallibility in the 
Council of the Vatican, in 1870. My reading of this chap- 
ter convinced me of true Papal supremacy, which would, of 
course, include infallibility. Another point was cleared up 
regarding the early Church, by reading Hefele's 'History of 
the Councils,' which, to be sure, contained the ecumenical 
letters. I was startled to- find that these councils of the 
much-re ferred-to undivided Church of the first four cen- 
turies, in their synodal letters, spoke of the occupant of the 
See of Rome, precisely as the Church of after-centuries, up 
to the present day addresses the Pope, successor of St. Peter, 
Prince of the ApO'Stles, Vicar of Christ on Earth. At the 

134 



HIS CONVERSION. 

Protestant seminary in New York, we had used as a text- 
book an Index Canomtm of these very councils, but the com- 
piler had very wisely, from his point of view, omitted the 
ecumenical letters. The discovery of their existence was a 
revelation and a shock. The stronghold of Protestantism 
had crumbled at its foundation." 

Van Rensselaer still had many difficulties in regard to the 
Catholic Church. Many of her doctrines were not clear to 
his mind, and many of her devotions did not appeal to his 
taste. But, if Christ had built his Church on Peter, the 
rock against which the gates of hell should not prevail, had 
given him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, had prom- 
ised to be with him always tO' the end of the world, and had 
bestowed the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, to guide His 
Church into all truth, then he felt convinced that whatever 
this Church taught must be true and should be accepted by 
all. The identity of the true Church was no longer doubt- 
ful. Submission to^ authority was the only course open to 
him. It was an intellectual conviction, without any sensi- 
ble attraction. 

The following letter to^ one of the family, written two 
weeks before his formal reception intO' the Church, sums up 
tersely the visit to Oxford and its result : 

"Paris, 

''September 4, 1877. 
"I have not written for some time because I have been, 
and am, too unhappy to want to put my feelings on paper. 
Dr. King was entirely unable tO' help me, and not being well 
up on the Roman side, he could not command that respect 
for his opinion which he otherwise would have. His argu- 
ment is exactly Keble's : Born in the Anglican Communion, 

135 



LIFE OF H'ENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



t:ay there. Why not equally well say: Born in the Church 
of Scotland, stay there? 

"While I was in Oxford before Dr. King came, I ob- 
tained access to a library there, and read Bollinger's His- 
tory, which convinced me that his present position as a 
schismatic is untenable from his own book, which, unlike 
those written by Anglicans who 'verted, has never been re- 
tracted, but still holds its position as true -history. I also 
read Cardinal Manning's 'True History of the Vatican 
Council,' which gives one a very different idea from the one 
usually entertained in regard to Infallibility. It was quite 
strange that the day I went by appointment to see Dr. King 
I was kept waiting in the dining-room and picked up Ma- 
caulay's History and read the preface. His account of the 
formation of the Church of England by Elizabeth was 
startling and an ill preparation for my first talk with the 
Doctor upon the position and claim of the Church of Eng- 
land. • 

''Dr. Bright, to whom I spoke for only a moment, said 
he thought the present state of the Church to be anomalous. 
Is it possible that Almighty God has revealed doctrines 
such as the Real Presence and Confession, and yet it can 
be a matter of no^ importance whether a professing church- 
man believe them or not? St. Paul speaks very plainly of 
the necessity of the trumpet giving a distinct sound. 

"But you must read and decide for yourself, which is 
exactly the advice given me by Dr. Liddon. I had several 
interviews with him, and he was very good and kind 
and, of course, what such a man says cannot but command 
respect. I had already read the books he recommended, 
but began to study Hefele's 'History oi the Councils,' find- 
ing him very strong on the Roman side. Both Dr. Liddon 

136 



HIS CONVERSION. 

and Dr. Bright say that he is very reliable. The attitude 
of the Council of Chalcedon towards the Pope, Leo, is ex- 
actly what one would expect from the standpoint of Rome, 
and entirely goes against the Anglican position. 

''Well, Dr. Liddon could not satisfy me at all, and, as 
you already know by my letter to mother, I have decided 
to become a Catholic in deed and not only in intention, 
and SO' has Alackall, and so has E. It is useless to wait 
unless I am to become cold and indifferent, for my mind 
is thoroughly made up on good, strong, sensible, intellectual 
grounds. 

"Your devoted brother, 

"Henry." 



The collapse of the appeal to Canon Liddon, and subse- 
quent readings on the subject, seem to have settled definitely 
for Van Rensselaer the question he had so long and so per- 
severingly sought to solve. There coiild no longer be any 
doubt as to which was the true Church of Christ. It was 
now high time to turn to the Church of Rome. Up to this 
point his progress had been slow enough, nor had he tried 
to free himself from Anglican influences. While he was 
studying the question he had conscientiously abstained from 
going inside a Catholic Church or speaking to a Catholic 
priest. He had frequented the ultra-ritualistic churches and 
in them he had seen the ceremonies of the Catholic Church 
carried out exactly. Externally the imitation was perfect. 
The altar wuth its appointments, the ministers in colored 
silken vestments, the music and incense, all was there as in 
the true Church, but it was "Hamlet" with the Prince left 
out. The Real Presence of Christ was not there. The es- 

137 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



sential lack became so oppressive to him that he resolved 
never again to be present at such hollow mockeries, as they 
now seemed to be. He declares : — 

"Protestant England had become so distasteful tO' me that 
I longed to be in a Catholic country. Before leaving Lon- 
don, we called, my friend and I, at the Brompton Oratory 
and were warmly received. The priest whom we saw was 
anxious to have us make our abjuration of errors and pro- 
fession of faith then and there. He said that he would not 
dare to cross the channel in our frame of mind. We an- 
swered that having dared the dangers of the Atlantic we 
thought we could risk the English Channel, as our intention 
then was tO' make our submission in Rome itself." 

In the meantime, his sister, who had preceded him in 
England, was also' fully convinced of the untenableness of 
the Anglican position. She had come by strict orders of 
her director, who had also been his, tO' join the All Saints' 
Sisterhood in Margaret street, London. There she was 
nurtured on purely Catholic literature — lives of the saints 
and spiritual books of Roman, not Anglican, authors. They 
kept the feast of St. Francis Xavier, among others purely 
Roman. The Reverend Mother was in the habit of going 
tO' Paris tO' keep the feasts of the Liimaculate Conception 
and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. When his sister 
stated her difficulties to her London confessor, he parried 
them by saying that it was w^ell to have two^ strings to one's 
bow, and that if the Anglican were wrong the Greek might 
be right. When she remarked that her brother, who' was a 
minister, and his friend, also a minister, were troubled in 
the same way as herself, he only sneered at their youth. She 
soon decided that she could not persevere in Anglicanism, 
though she was unable to leave the Sisters just then, as 

138 



HIS CONVERSION. 

there was no one to fill her position. So she remained a 
couple of weeks after her brother had left for Paris, and at 
the expiration of her time of warning to the Sisters, joined 
him and his friend there. 

In view of his subsequent career it is strange that his first 
meeting with a member of the Society of Jesus was not 
auspicious. The circumstances were as follows : — 

"We had determined to be received into the Church in 
Rome itself. Thinking that we should enjoy our stay in 
Paris and our journey through France and Italy more as 
Catholics, we resolved to take the important step in Paris. 
My sister and my friend were admirers of the Jesuits, which 
admiration I did not share. They accordingly paid a visit 
to the Jesuit house in the Rue de Sevres and made arrange- 
ments for our reception. I noticed that they were not nearly 
so enthusiastic after their visit, and they discreetly said little 
about it. My friend had arranged that he and I should 
make a preparatory retreat of three days under a Jesuit 
Father's direction. The first day came for our instruction. 
I had forebodings. Our instructor had neuralgia and a 
much swollen face. He was not a representative of the wily 
Jesuit at all. He began by informing us we knew nothing. 
As he had not examined us, I felt he was not qualified to 
give the verdict. He insisted on instructing us. According 
to him we did not understand Infallibility. I insisted that 
we did. We had studied the authorized exponent's book, 
md Dr. Fessler was the best authority on the matter. The 
Rev. Jesuit pooh-poohed him and said he would enlighten 
us. I replied that he was losing time. He was sure we had 
difficulties. We were sure we had none. The visit was un- 
satisfactory, and when we got out of the house I declared 
that the others might do as they pleased, but that I would 

139 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

not repeat the visit, and the retreat could be called off. I 
wished to have my coming into the Church a pleasant mem- 
ory, which under such auspices was impossible. My com- 
panions seemed nothing- loath to follow my example, al- 
though we had committed ourselves with the Jesuit. I said 
it was a simple thing tO' write to him that we had changed 
our plan; foolishly, perhaps, I added that w^e preferred to 
go to one w^ho was accustomed to deal with Anglican con- 
verts and could understand them. That same day his an- 
swer came in shape of a pamphlet wTitten by him on Angli- 
canism." 

The retreat was thus abruptly brought tO' an end. It was 
an awkward way out of an awkward situation, which might 
have been easily relieved by some display of tact on either 
side. The next step was to^ find some one to take the would- 
be converts in hand. They had brought letters to a dear old 
English priest, Mgr. Rogerson, who had a confessional for 
English-speaking people in the Church of St. Roch, so they 
presented their letters to him and were welcomed in a truly 
fatherly way. They felt at home with him at once. He 
told them that their experience had been that of many 
others, who, like themselves, had ended by coming to him. 
He examined them a little, saw that they knew what they 
were doing, and then, on the 17'th of September, 1877, re- 
ceived their abjuration and profession of faith, and baptized 
them conditionally in the Church of St. Roch. 

The narrative of those early days spent as a Catholic be- 
comes of increasing interest as it tells of the efforts made to 
overcome life-long prejudices in accepting without ques- 
tioning the devout practices so common in Catholic coun- 
tries, but which usually repel the new convert. With his 
usual candor he informs us : — 

140 



HIS CONVERSION. 

"As Protestants we had many prejudices against certain 
practices in the CathoHc Church. Among other things, we 
disHked very much to see old women selHng candles in the 
churches to be burned before the statues. Having become 
CathoHcs, we determined not to do things by halves. If 
the Church approves of these practices, they must be right, 
whether they appealed to us or not. So, when we were pass- 
ing out of the Chapel of the Calvary, where we had been 
received, we stopped at the grottO' representing the Holy 
Sepulchre with the dead Christ and lighted candles, which 
we purchased from our quondam aversion — the old dame 
who sold candles." 

On the feast of St. Matthew they made their First Com- 
munion in the Chapel of the Convent of the Sacred Heart 
in the Rue de Varennes. The Mass was said by their good 
old friend in need, Mgr. Rogerson, who did much during 
their stay in Paris to make them feel at home in their new 
religious surroundings. 



Ill 



CHAPTER IX. 

A Catholic. 

<< < rjY the help of my God have I leaped over the wall' 
D And what a wall it was ! A wall that has proved 
an impassable barrier to millioiis ! This was the wall laid 
by the leaders of the great revolt against the Church in the 
sixteenth century, and raised higher and higher in succeed- 
ing centuries by the accumulation of false accusations and 
prejudices. By the powerful help of God alone can one have 
strength to leap over this wall. And the leap supposes a 
combined action of man's mind and will with the grace of 
God. A leap it is, and, owing to the nature of faith, it 
seems to be a leap in the dark. For there is always a latent 
apprehension that perhaps the action may be a mistake." 

Such are the words with which Van Rensselaer gratefully 
acknowledges that only through God's grace could he have 
threaded the labyrinth of error and have found his way to 
the Church, the pillar and ground of truth. 

Naturally enough, he thought he would visit Rome and 
tender his submission to the Vicar of Christ. How different 
his sentiments now from those which animated him on a 
previous visit! Still it was with no little difficulty he ad- 
justed himself to some of the popular observances of his 
new faith. His narrative continues : ''Being now quite 
Catholicized, we set our faces Romeward to visit the centre 
of unity and the Vicar of Christ on earth. The saintly Pius 
IX sat in the chair of Peter. His long reign was nearing 
its close, and he was then rather feeble. At our audience 

142 



A CATHOLIC. 

he had to be borne into the hall on a portable chair. He 
was surrounded by a brilliant retinue of cardinals, mon- 
signori, and other attendants in bright uniforms. He was 
very benevolent and gracious. He gave us a special bless- 
ing on hearing that we were converts and bade us to go 
back tO' America to spread the Faith. We have tried to 
carry out his injunction. 

"I recall an incident in the Vatican. The first time we 
visited the great basilica we knew the correct thing to do 
was to kiss the foot of the bronze statue of St. Peter, which 
unbelieving Protestants claim to be a converted image of 
Jupiter Tonans. Our Protestant prejudices revived for a 
moment, and w^e passed it by unkissed. After going around 
for some time, I made a dart at the statue, conquered my 
antipathy, and kissed the foot. Thenceforth we had no diffi- 
culty in kissing, after the manner of the Italians, pictures, 
statues, and all other obxects of devotion. 

"My friend and I thought of remaining in Rome to make 
our studies for the priesthood, as we had no doubt of our 
vocation to the altar. But we could not well leave my sister 
alone so far from home, so we decided to return to Paris 
after we had seen the sights of Rome. We journe3^ed 
thither by easy stages. My sister went en pension to the 
Convent of the Sacred Heart, while we took up our resi- 
dence at the French Oratory in the Rue de Regard." 

Hearing that Cardinal INIanning was passing through 
Paris, the travellers called on him, in hopes that he would 
administer to them the Sacrament of Confirmation. But 
this necessitated permission from Cardinal Guibert, then 
Archbishop of Paris, and other formalities, so they had to 
forego the privilege. Shortly after, they were confirmed by 
the Coadjutor Archbishop, Mgr. Richard. 

143 



LIFE OF HFNRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"Cardinal Manning," he writes, '"was very cordial and 
gave us each a copy of one of his celebrated books on the 
Mission of the Holy Ghost. He made a deep impression on 
us by his austere appearance. The newspapers were then 
making much of his championing the total abstinence move- 
ment in England, not only by word, but by example. This 
latter meant much, for the aged cardinal had, like most 
Englishmen, been accustomed all his life to take his wine. 
His doctor forbade him to abstain, and told him it would 
shorten his life, but his indomitable will triumphed." 

Van Rensselaer was not satisfied with the reception of the 
Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. He had already 
cast his lot in the service of the Church and he was anxious 
to take the first steps towards entering the clerical life. An- 
other cardinal came to Paris on his way to Rome. It was 
our own first American Cardinal, the venerable Archbishop 
McCloskey. Van Rensselaer took advantage of his pres- 
ence there to receive the tonsure and then, with a view to 
preparing for the priesthood, took up his theological studies 
in Paris, with the Fathers of Oratory. Of this period of 
his life he tells us :-^ 

"My friend and I undertook to study theology under one 
of the Oratorian Fathers, but our work was, to say the least, 
desultory. We were determined to acquire the Catholic 
spirit, and to this end we attended all the religious func- 
tions we could, and they were many. The services at Notre 
Dame had especial attractions for us, and there we saw for 
the first time the impressive ceremonies of Holy Week. 
What struck us as strange was the easy-going behavior of 
the people in the churches. They seemed perfectly at home 
in what they rightly considered their Father's house. This 
was quite noticeable at Vespers in Notre Dame. While the 

144 



A CATHOLIC. 

canons and choristers chanted the Psalms in the choir, the 
faithful of both sexes would saunter leisurely in the aisles 
outside the choir, joining in the Psalms, which they knew 
by heart. French boys have singularly beautiful voices, 
and, as at Notre Dame they have a 'maitrise/ or choir 
school, in which the boys live and receive their education, 
intellectual and musical, they are properly nurtured and 
guarded from injuring their voices by shouting in the 
streets. One of the great privileges of the year was our 
attendance at the Lenten Conferences of the Dominican, 
Monsabre. It was a grand sight to see the immense nave 
of Notre Dame filled with men, old and young, who listened 
in rapt attention to the eloquent words of the preacher. The 
closing retreat in Holy Week, with the general Communion 
for men. was very edifying and inspiring." 

A more minute account of his stay with the French 
Oratorians is given in the following letter : — 

"L'Oratoire., Paris, 

"December, 1877. 

"Who would have believed a year ago that I should be 
here and my Mus Achates with me, and yet it seems so 
natural to be a Catholic that I don't feel at all like a stranger 
but quite mo fait and to the manner born. I am perfectly 
happy, except in being sO' far away from home; still there 
is a great advantage in being out of the reach o-f contro- 
versy and free to become accustomed to one's position in 
peace and quiet, and in a country which is Catholic in so far 
as it is religious at all, for Protestantism has no hold here. 

"We do not go out for lectures. I believe one learns 
more by studying than by hearing courses. One of the 
Fathers, a Doctor in Theology, superintends our studies and 

145 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

explains any difficulties we may meet with. We are treated 
with the greatest kindness by everyone. You should see 
us in the street in our clerical costume — great, low, broad- 
brimmed hats, caught up on each side; long coats, dou- 
illetes, black stockings and knee breeches, and me, minus 
my beard, which I regret only on account of the trouble of 
shaving. 

"We went to a grand service at Notre Dame last Tuesday 
night. It was the close of the Forty Hours' Adoration of 
the Blessed Sacrament. The adoration goes on uninterrupt- 
edly in the churches of Paris and the vicinity, opening in 
one as it is closed in another. The year is always begun at 
the Cathedral. On Tuesday evening there was a magnifi- 
cent procession. The Host was carried by the Coadjutor, 
Archbishop Richard, followed by the Cardinal Archbishop, 
the canons, numbers of clergy and acolytes, many choristers 
in red, and at least three thousand men, everyone in the 
procession carrying a lighted candle. Imagine the effect in 
Notre Dame at night, the high altar blazing with lights and 
the huge procession with its flickering tapers. Only men 
took part, with the exception of the St. Vincent de Paul 
Sisters who' work in the parish, and who were permitted to 
join. To see all those men kneel down as their Lord passed 
by was a sight I shall never forget. 

''We are still devoted to St. Roch's, where we feel very 
much at home, and where the singing is delightful. We 
generally go to the Jesuit Chapel in the Rue de Sevres for 
Benediction on Sunday afternoon. 

"I always think of Baby May when they have the 'pain 
benif at Mass. It is a relic of a most ancient custom, the 
love- feast. In the churches of France, just before the con- 
secration, a little procession goes up tO' the altar — a beadle, 

146 



(i 



A CATHOLIC. 

followed by a dear little girl like May, dressed in white and 
blue, with a lighted candle, then two boys in red, carrying 
on their shoulders a tray with a large round loaf of sweet- 
ened bread surrounded by candles. The bread is given by 
some parishioner and they generally send a little girl of 
the family to make the offering. After the bread has been 
blessed, the procession goes out in the same order, and later 
on in the service the boys hand round the bread in baskets. 
The custom is retained in France only, but is, I think, very 
beautiful." 

His stay at the Oratory with the new manner of life it 
involved, seems not to 'have repressed his youthful gaiety 
or to have in any way affected his sense of humor. Thus 
he writes to one of his sisters:. 

"L'Oratoire^ Paris. 

''March 15, 1878. 
"My Dear Bessie: 

"You see I have yielded to your polite request and been 
photographed. Phema and I prefer the sitting pose, but the 
other is the favorite. How do' you like the costume of an 
abbe ? I am sorry I could not show my black stockings and 
shoe buckles, but when the 'lady' in attendance at Le Jeune's 
asked me what style I wished, and showed me samples, I 
suggested tentatively that perhaps full length would be 'un 
peu trop long.' She seemed entirely of my 'avis,' as there 
may be too much of a good person as well as too much of a 
good thing. I modestly tried to hide my hands, but the 
'poser' insisted upon their being visible, as he assured me 
they wouldn't look very badly; at any rate it would never 
do to be taken imarmed — but enough of myself. 

147 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"I have been, and am, reading Montalembert's St. Eliza- 
beth. It is absurd and needless to comment upon it, as its 
reputation is world-wide. You must certainly read it and 
retract the accusation against her, who is known and ever 
was known in Catholic Germany as *die liebe heilige Elisa- 
beth.' She is a most exquisite character, as you will readily 
acknowledge when you read her life. That little affair of 
the roses comes out most beautifully. Her husband was a 
most saintly young man; he died at twenty-seven. They 
were the most devoted couple imaginable. I advise you to 
find that little picture of la chere sainte, which I brought 
you two years ago, and you rejected. The preface gives a 
most interesting survey of the 13th Century, supposed by 
some people to be the Dark Ages. You will get quite an- 
other idea, I imagine. We went to Notre Dame on Sunday 
for the Conference. Monsabre is splendid; the nave was 
full of men, two or three thousand. We sat with the arch- 
bishop and clergy and had excellent seats opposite the pul- 
pit. The white frock and black coat of the frere precheiir 
add greatly to the effect of the orator. He is very eloquent. 
The subject was the God-Man as proved by facts; the whole 
series is upon the Incarnation. It lasted an hour, but did 
not seem too long. His gestures are magnificent. He is 
middle-aged, rather fat, not handsome, perhaps a little too 
witty, as he made an occasional hit. The Dominicans are 
very strong in Paris and have a great many pulpits at their 
disposal. I know Pere Chocarne and admire him very 
much. He is not, they say, fort, as a preacher, but a very 
spiritual man, with a beautiful expresion. But I have to go 
out, so must close. 

"Your affectionate brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer/' 
148 



., 



A CATHOLIC. 

An interesting disclosure of Van Rensselaer's letters 
from Oxford is that of a longing on his part to lead the 
life of a religious. So great had been this desire that, had 
his belief in the Branch theory remained unshaken, he 
would in all likelihood have established in New York some 
religious brotherhood whose chief duty would be to labor 
among the poor in the congested districts of the lower East 
Side. It is not surprising, therefore, that after becoming a 
Catholic the thought of a religious vocation was still upper- 
most. Of his call to the priesthood he had never a doubt, 
but the further question of joining a religious community 
had tO' be decided. The experience with the Jesuit in Paris 
was not likely to lead him to become a member of the 
Society of Jesus. It was no easy matter for him to make 
up his mind as to what other religious order he would 
choose. The' Oratorians in France, as well as in England, 
the Dominicans, the White Fathers of the African Mission, 
were all in their turn considered. These experiences should 
be told in his own words. 

"My friend and I received some very wholesome but un- 
palatable advice from an American bishop whom we visited 
during his stay in Paris. His keen and experienced eye 
detected the weak points in our religious coimposition. He 
told us, that in his judgment we needed tO' go through the 
mill, be ground fine, and made over. As his advice was 
unsought by us, it was decidedly unacceptable ; we had quite 
a different opinion of ourselves at the time. After years 
made us see that his verdict was correct. In many respects 
the old leaven of Protestantism was still working in us, 
and time was required for the effect of the new leaven on 
the mass. I had long felt drawn to the religious life, even 
as a Protestant, but in what order was I to cast my lot? 

149 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Of oiie thing I declared myself certain: a Jesuit I would 
never be. Anything else was possible, but to be a Jesuit — 
never. There I drew the line of demarcation. After hear- 
ing: the celebrated Dominicans, Monsabre and Chocarne, I 
had a fancy for the Friars Preachers, especially after read- 
ing the fascinating life of Lacordaire by Chocarne. I even 
went so far as to call on Pere Chocarne, who had a very 
attractive personality, and I arranged for a retreat. He 
candidly advised me tO' join the French Dominicans, as he 
said their studies were superior to those made by the Amer- 
ican Friars. My sister and my friend would not hear of 
my joining the ranks oi freres precheurs, and talked me out 
of the idea by ridiculing the possibility of my being a 
preacher. Next the missionary spirit took hold of me. I 
had been serving the Mass of one of the White Fathers, as 
the missionaries of the congregation founded by Cardinal 
Lavigerie for African Missions were called, and had be- 
come interested in the work. I had long talks with the 
Father in charge of the bureau in Paris ; finally I confided 
to him my desire to devote my life to missions in Africa. 
He was a vefy prudent man and encouraged me in my in- 
tention to become a missionary, but said, were he in my 
place, that he would return to America and labor there, 
where, as an American and a member of a well-known fam- 
ily, I should have more influence in making converts, espe- 
cially as I was a convert myself. Besides that, he advocated 
my joining the Jesuits. My sister and friend had received 
my announcement of my intention to gO' tO' Africa with de- 
cided opposition, so, accepting the advice of the White 
Father, at least partially, I abandoned the idea of Africa as 
the land of my future work." 

With the advice of Monsignor Rogerson, Van Rensselaer 

150 



^ 



A CATHOLIC. 

next turned his thoiigbts tO' the Fathers of the Oratory, 
founded by St. PhiHp Neri in the sixteenth century, and 
having among its distinguished memibers in England such 
men as Dr. Newman, Father Dalgairns and Father Faber. 
But his stay at Brompton was a brief one. He writes : 

"Our good friend Mgr. Rogerson had always intended 
my friend and myself for Oratorians, but he did not care 
for the French Congregation, preferring the English. He 
accordingly wrote to Father Morris then Superior of the 
London Oratory at Brompton, and got an invitation for us 
tO' visit there with a view tO' settling our vocation. To Lon- 
don we went. Before presenting ourselves at the house, we 
inspected the church. It was the old one built by the saintly 
Father Faber, which has since been replaced by the superb 
Romanesque edifice. 

"First impresions, in my case, seem to be prophetic for 
me. As soon as we entered I said to my companion : 'This 
is not the place of my abode.' We were most cordially re- 
ceived by the Fathers and allowed to take part in their com- 
munity exercises. They were a very charming body of men, 
several being converts. Although they are a congregation 
not bound by vows, their internal discipline is rather severe. 
For instance, they seldom, if ever, preach outside of their 
own church. At recreation, soi called, each has his own as- 
signed seat which he must occupy. Everything was done 
in the Italian style, whether that style were worthy of imi- 
tation or reformation.' Moreover there was an exaggerated 
devotion to St. Philip Neri, the great founder, which ex- 
pressed itself in perpetual references to him in season and 
out of season. They smiled because St. Philip smiled, and 
laughed because St. Philip laughed, and so of other things." 

151 



CHAPTER X. 

The Jesuit Novice. 

AS the life of the Oratorians was not to his liking, Van 
Rensselaer decided to return, for a time at least, to 
America, and, learning that Cardinal McCloskey was about 
to sail for New York, he embarked from Havre on the same 
steamer. The voyage was not without its influence upon 
his future. There were on board three Jesuits bound for 
the Rocky Mountains. One of them, Father Canestrelli, 
was a theologian of some note, and the successor of Cardi- 
nal Franzelin in the divinity chair of the Gregorian Uni- 
versity in Rome. They were now travelling second class to 
an obscure mission among the Indians. They were bad 
travellers and were very sea-sick. Van Rensselaer saw a 
great deal of these men and administered to their wants as 
far as he was able. Their humility, poverty and self-sacri- 
fice did much to counteract the prejudice he entertained 
after his disagreeable experience with the Jesuit in Paris, 
and brought about in him the first conscious attraction to 
the Society which formed such men. 

Shortly after his arrival in New York, he made the ac- 
quaintance of the Rev. John Prendergast, S.J., then sta- 
tioned at the Church of St. Francis Xavier, New York 
City. To mention Father Prendergast's name is to call to 
the mind of those who knew him, one of the most remark- 
able of the New York priests of his time. A man of sterling 
character, he was fitted by his cast of mind and literary at- 
tainments to make a deep impression on the new convert 

163 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

The acquaintance soon ripened into a friendship, and then 
into an intimacy which remained unbroken until death sep- 
arated them a generation later. In scholarship Father Pren- 
dergast did not lose by comparison with any of the Ox- 
ford dons; in spiritual insight he easily surpassed them. 
What was of supreme importance, he could, like an older 
brother, counsel and direct one who, as yet, was little better 
than a catechumen. He first suggested that Van Rensselaer 
should make a retreat, after the method laid down by St, 
Ignatius of Loyola in the book of Spiritual Exercises. Nay, 
more, Father Prendergast would himself act as his spiritual 
guide. Accordingly, towards the end of June, 1878, they 
withdrew to the Jesuit Novitiate at West Park on the Hud- 
son, where Van Rensselaer went through the Spiritual Ex- 
ercises under the guidance of his new director. At the end 
of the retreat, he applied for admission to the Society of 
Jesus, and was received by the Rev. Theophile Charaux, 
S.J., the Superior of the New York and Canada Mission. 

Father Charaux wisely determined to. send the earnest 
and devout applicant to Roehampton, England, for his no- 
vitiate, where he could receive a spiritual formation among 
candidates many of whom were converts like himself, and 
under superiors who had exceptional experience in training 
such men. After a few months passed with his family, he 
sailed on October 2, visiting Paris, Lourdes and Paray-le- 
Alonial, before he entered the Jesuit Novitiate on Novem- 
ber 1, 1878. We are indebted to the family of Father Van 
Rensselaer for a series of letters sent from England during 
the following two years. They are written in an easy, fa- 
miliar style; simple and utterly devoid of self-conscious- 
ness, as all such letters should be, and reveal, not only the 
workings of his mind and heart, but the admirable prepara- 

153 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

tion he was unconsciously making for his future apostoHc 
career. The first two letters were written during the voy- 
age. 

"On Board the Pereire, 

''October 2, 1878. 
''Just one word before we are out of sight of land. This 
is an auspicious day -for sailing, for it is dedicated to the 
Holy Guardian Angels, and these words were on my little 
French Almanac : 'C'est la voix de mon ange : Je suis ton 
ami et je te conduirai moi-meme jusqu'au terme dans la voie 
ou tu dois marcher.' 

"It is always au revoir. 

"Henry." 

"Pereire, 

"October 11, 1878. 
"We are not far from land. In a few hours we expect 
to pass the Scilly Islands and then it is a run of eighteen 
hours to Havre. It is quite calm and pleasant now, but we 
have had an awful time of it. Perhaps you saw by the 
papers that there had been a storm at sea; well, we had it 
in all its terror. For three days we were in danger^ turned 
upside down every few minutes, huge waves breaking over 
the bulwarks and leaking down into the cabins; sleep was 
impossible. The smoking room was rendered useless; a 
wave broke the door and windows, and then the water 
rushed down into the ladies' saloon. Fortunately it was at 
night, when no one was there. It is all over now, Dieu 
merci." 

The following letter is the first he wrote from Roe- 
hampton : — 

154 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

"Manresa House, Ro'EHAmpton, 

"November 10, 1878. 

"This place is beautiful; it was formerly the hunting 
lodge of the Earl of Bessborough, and adjoins Richmond 
Park. Our grounds are very extensive and we can take a 
long walk in them; but several times a week we go where 
we choose. Wimbledon Common is quite near, and a fa- 
vorite walk is to the famous Star and Garter Inn at Rich- 
mond. The good walkers go as far as London, but it is a 
pretty long stretch, particularly for Americans, and I prefer 
steam legs to carry me. I was very kindly received, and 
put under the charge of General Sherman's son, who has 
been here since June. He made me feel at home at once, 
and we have a good many walks together. I have a fine 
view of Richmond Park from my window. It is like the 
open country, with splendid trees. The novices are a very 
jolly crowd, and We have many a laugh together; in most 
things we are congenial, a happy family in all senses of the 
word, and yet collected from many nations : English, Scotch, 
Irish, American, Belgian, German, French, Italian, Dalma- 
tian, Syrian, Maltese; yet there is no national feeling, and 
the foreigners are usually the favorites. Americans are con- 
sidered to have the power of adapting themselves to circum- 
stances, perhaps because they travel so much. It seems to 
be a true reputation. We have an ancient novice who is half 
a Canadian, having lived much in Canada ; his family has a 
large estate there, and he has crossed the Atlantic thirty 
times. The life is rather hard for an elderly person, but it 
is amusing to see what the things are to which different peo- 
ple attach importance. His greatest trial was having only 
one towel; he had always used six at a time." 

155 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Dating from his reception into the Church, Van Rensse- 
laer had taken a deep interest in the work of the missions. 
The missionary spirit, sO' necessary for the apostolic man, 
took hold of him in the very cradle of his religious life and 
waxed stronger day by day as time went on. On January 
23, 1879, he writes:— 

"I am reading 'Marshall's Christian Missions.' It is in- 
tensely interesting. It is astonishing to find that there has 
been for three centuries and still exists, a flourishing Church 
in China, with thousands of martyrs and confessors. On 
the 31st of this month, a Jesuit Mission is to be begun in 
Central Africa, covering the discoveries of Livingston and 
Stanley. It belongs to this Province by courtesy to the dis- 
coverers, I suppose, for most of the Fathers who are to go 
are French or Belgian, the universal missionaries. These 
missions and their results are a most convincing proof of the 
truth of Catholicism. In all ages the preaching of the Gos- 
pel has been followed by precisely the same effects : perfect 
self -^abnegation, marvellous supernatural courage, and 
miracles of healing, etc. To my mind, the greatest miracle 
is the supernatural strength given to young and old, women, 
and even children, to endure unheard-of tortures without 
denying their faith. The Chinese converts were begged by 
Mandarins simply to step upon the cross — they might be- 
lieve what they chose if they would conform outwardly — 
but they scouted the suggestion and cheerfully suffered and 
died for Our Lord. Truly such faith puts us to the blush." 

The following extracts from letters which were written 
at Roehampton give us a good insight into the work-a-day 
life of the Jesuit novice. Several hours a day are given to 
vocal and mental prayer, spiritual reading and self-examina- 

156 









REV. JOHN PRENDERGAST. S.J. 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

tion. Of these duties Van Rensselaer says little, deeming 
them of slight interest even to his family, but dwells on the 
external occupations which afford more interesting matter 
for letter-writing. 

^'February 1, 1879. 
*'I am very busy this month as I have the office of First 
Refectorian, which is quite responsible. I have to direct all 
the work in the Refectory and attend to the proper serving 
of the meals. It requires management and common sense. 
You will say : 'What is the- use of yoiir doing such things ?' 
Well, one reason is, that it rests our minds from studying; 
another very important one is, that it trains us to take super- 
vision and direction and submit to bearing hardships, for it 
is not exactly a pleasure." 

"July 13, 1879. 
"I may not have another chance of writing for some 
lime, as we are very busy hay-making. We have had rain 
every day for a month, but on Wednesday the weather 
seemed to change, so our grass was partly cut, and we were 
set to work to shake and turn it in order to get it dried as 
soon as possible. All our studies stop during the hay-mak- 
ing, and we are only allowed time for praying, eating and 
sleeping, the three necessities of our life. We even work 
after supper when there is danger of rain." 

''August 1. 
"We are still busy in the hay-field and are well sun- 
burned. I am sure it will do us a great deal of good to be 
so much in the open air and in such health)^ exercise. The 
frequent showers doubled, or rather quadrupled, our exer- 

157 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

tions ; it was necessary to do so much shaking to get the hay 
dried. However, we have got three-fourths secured in a 
stack, while the rest still demands our attention. We get 
through a great deal of work in the morning, when we do 
not talk, but in the afternoon our tongues do' more than our 
hands. The weather has been unfavorable for fruit, but 
our strawberries have ripened, and very good ones they are. 
English people do not eat fruit as we do in America — ^half a 
dozen strawberries satisfy them. We have to gather fruit 
now for preserving — strawberries and black currants — so 
you see, we have a variety of work. I think, however, that 
I prefer the good old routine. It has fallen to my lot to ar- 
range flowers for the Altar, so I am quite in my element. 
We have beautiful roses of all kinds." 

"September 17, 1879. 
'Tt is some time since I have written, as I have been very 
busy. First our week's Retreat; then for ten days I have 
been helping the cook, a very delightful occupation, as you 
may imagine, for the quondam, fastidious H. V. R. How- 
ever, I am getting on very well, notwithstanding the smells 
and the grease. It is hard work to stand over the steaming 
tubs, washing dishes and scouring pots and pans. As we 
have a large community, they reckon about seven hundred 
plates a day, but they are nothing compared to the greasy 
pots and pans. This work is supposed to be an antidote to 
pride, although one can be proud of being a good scullery 
man. This summer has been rather a contrast to previous 
ones, when I was decidedly an idler. Now, it is impossible 
to be idle, and I see that time is too precious to be wasted." 

The Feast of All Saints, 187'9, was the first anniversary 

153 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

of his entrance into' the novitiate. No shadow of doubt of 
his being where God wished him to be ever crossed his 
mind. He was very happy, and wrote home assuring his 
family of his contentment. 

"All Saints Day, 1879. 
"To-day is my birthday in the Society of Jesus, and in 
one year more I hope to take my simple vows on this great 
feast. I am perfectly happy and very thankful for my voca- 
tion. I shall appreciate this year more than the last, for the 
foundation is not the most interesting part of the spiritual 
structure. I have passed through everything that we have 
in the way of trials. Many will come again to my share, 
but they will be hke old friends." 

There was not much chance for letter-writing for a month 
or more, but the day after Christmas he wrote again : — 

"December 26, 1879. 
'T have been very busy for the past month as Refectorian ; 
the long retreat is going on, and those who are making it 
do not help as usual. The lay-brother novice who was chief 
Refectorian went into retreat to prepare for taking his vows 
and for five days I have had his place. To^-day, however, 
my labors cease. In spite of all, I have had a very happy 
feast. We had a delightful Midnight Mass, preceded by the 
'Adeste,' arranged by Novello for solo-, duet, trio and 
chorus. I sang the bass solo. We had a High Mass in the 
public chapel, and in the afternoon we all went to Farm 
Street for Vespers. The fog was so' thick that we almost 
lost our way in Waterloo Place. The Holy Innocents is 
our great day, and we hope to pay a visit to the Little Sis- 

159 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

ters of the Poor. On St. Stanislaus' Day three of us novices 
went to Nazareth House and were treated most cordially. 
The Mother General took us ever}^where herself. She sug- 
g"ested that we ask for a holiday for her novices ; so we did, 
only stipulating that they should say their beads for us. I 
have a great devotion to the Holy Innocents. This was a 
favorite devotion of St. Francis de Gales, who died invok- 
ing them. There is something grand not only in dying for 
Our Lord, like the martyrs, but in dying instead of Him, 
like these little Innocents. A very Happy New Year. Each 
ought to be happier than the last, because it brings us nearer 
to Our Lord." 

''Feast of the Epiphany, 1880. 
"A great feast day, and many of the novices have gone 
to London tO' the different churches, but I thought I should 
like a quiet afternoon for writing. My little plan was in- 
terrupted by being called upon to help wash the dinner 
things, so I set it down as something to offer Our Lord on 
Epiphany; not much, it is true, but having given myself, I 
can only give what I can do in His service." 

In the two letters that follow, his predilection for the mis- 
sions again asserts itself : — 

"Feast of Purification, 1880. 
"I am trying to pick up a little Spanish and find it easy, 
knowing French well, and Latin, which is the mother 
tongue. I received an incentive from a letter Father W. 
wrote me from California. He had spent six weeks with a 
tribe of Indians, one hundred and fifty miles from Los An- 
geles. He taught them their prayers and did everything 

100 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

for them except burying them, as none of them would die 
just then. They fitted up a mud hut as a chapel and draped 
it tastefully with -bright colored calicoes. It was really 
pretty, but weird looking, when filled with dusky men in 
skins, women in calicoes, and babies mi natiirel. He taught 
and preached in Spanish, and it must have been consoling 
to be able to do so much for those poor Indians. It always 
fills me with enthusiasm to hear of real missionary work." 

'Tebruary 27. 
"Winter is coming to an end, bushes are budding, and the 
ground has thawed. I am not sorr}% as my outdoor work 
is to break up earth for a new walk. Not an easy task to 
use a pickaxe on ground as hard as the nether mill-stone. I 
am translating from the French the Diary of Father Depel- 
chin, one of our missionaries in South Africa. They have 
a great deal to contend with, especially the lack of water 
in crossing the deserts, and also of food, as the country is 
barren, and there are few animals. The poor missionaries 
have to live on a little rice or millet with small quantities of 
coffee to wash it down. Yet they write most contentedly 
and are grateful for the privilege of carrying the Gospel to 
the poor benighted savages. I enjoy translating it and feel 
as if I were helping them in a small way. You will be 
glad to hear that I get two hours a week practice on the 
harmonium, so I shall not forget the little that I know. 
Our voices, too, are well trained. We have a new choir- 
master, a novice who was the organist of St. Bartholo- 
mew's, Brighton. Three other novices, converts, came from 
that church. One was a curate, another superintendent of 
a Sunday-school, while the fourth, a lay brother, was a 
chorister. The singing has improved wonderfully under 

161 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the regime of the choir-master. We practise for an hour 
every morning. I can never have too much singing, as it 
is a great pleasure." 

After the pubHcation of the first edition of this Life, the 
following letter was received from a companion of Van 
Rensselaer at Roehampton, which gives us a charming pic- 
ture of him as he appeared to his fellow novices. The testi- 
mony of this eye-witness is valuable, for it furnishes an ex- 
trinsic proof, if any such proof were needed, of the absolute 
sincerity of the novice as he appears in his own letters, and 
the perfect correspondence between what he wrote at the 
time to others and what he endeavored to put in practice in 
his daily life. 

"I remember very well the evening when coming in from 
a walk I saw a hansom drive up to Manresa, and a tall, 
good-looking young man alight from it and enter the house. 
I thought it was some one coming tO' make a retreat. Later 
in the day Brother Sherman told me it was an American 
convert, an ex-Episcopalian clergyman. Van Rensselaer. 
We were soon thrown together in various ways. There 
were some forty novices; six or seven of them had, like 
Brother Van, Sherman and myself, seen something of life 
in the world, while most of the novices were fresh from col- 
lege. Father Porter kindly told Us older men that, without 
neglecting the younger ones, he would not be displeased at 
our being a good deal together on our walks, etc. 

"I was 'scullery man' with Brother Van for a fortnight. 
For some months our desks and our beds were side by side 
in that room looking out on Richmond Park. The day he 
went to see the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth with 

162 



THE JESUIT NOVICE. 

'Sherman and another/ I was the other. He talks in one 
letter of working with a pick breaking ground for a new 
path, with the ground frozen hard as iron. That was a job 
of some weeks which I directed, as I was supposed to be 
knacky in such things. 

"The book is full of reminders. I soon saw that Brother 
Van was a model novice who would be a splendid Jesuit. 
Living side by side with him in the same room I was greatly 
edified by everything I saw. There was a Berchmans-like 
fidelity in little things. He was never a moment late, never 
unoccupied, always alert, with his quiet self-possessed air; 
busy, but never in a flurry over things. Here is an incident 
that shows his devotion to holy poverty in those early days. 
He said to me one day, smiling, 'You waste a lot of good 
paper. I have made a book for myself of sheets of paper 
you threw into the waste-paper basket between our desks.' 
The paper was half sheets torn off letters, and ends of paper 
left at the foot of pages of rough memoranda I had thrown 
away after copying. 

"To every one he was kindness itself. I never heard him 
make a remark about anyone that had the slightest air of 
critical censure in it, and he never spoke of himself. A 
chance remark once led to his speaking to me of his hopes 
of the Rocky Mountain Mission, but this was exceptional. 

'T had some very kind letters from him after he went to 
America. It was my fault that the correspondence was not 
kept up, and I now realize it was my great loss. But I take 
his Life as a long letter to me. ... It shows the real- 
ization of all we expected from his life as a novice." 



163 



CHAPTER XL 

Letters to His Mother. 

TT would be strange indeed if Van Rensselaer, who all 
•*■ through his life manifested so much devotion and affec- 
tion for his friends, should be wanting in devotion and 
affection for his mother. Later on, one of the reasons for 
which he thanked God that he was assigned to the work of 
the ministry in New York was the hope that frequent inter- 
course with her would soften the prejudices she felt towards 
the Catholic Church, and possibly lead her into the fold. 
The gift of faith and all that goes with it would be held in 
light esteem indeed were he to give but little thought to 
sharing them with one whom he loved so tenderly. But it 
was not to be. His mother never became a Catholic, and 
with deep regret some years after he became a priest, he saw 
her buried from a Protestant church with Protestant ser- 
vices. Nor in the matter of her son's conversion did Mrs. 
Van Rensselaer ever become quite reconciled. She declined 
to attend his ordination to the priesthood on the ground 
that she had once seen him ordained a deacon in the Epis- 
copal Church. However,, she always received him lovingly, 
and aided him constantly when, he sought her help for the 
relief of the poor or the support of the charitable works in 
which he was interested. 

From Roehampton the son wrote to his mother often. 
The letters display exquisite tact and delicacy in speaking 
to her of his status as a novice and his desire to have her 
learn something about the Catholic Church. The first letter 
was written from England on liis way to the novitiate. 

164 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER 

"London, 

"October 30, 1878. 
"My Dearest Mother : 

"As you see, I have left Paris. I only got here to-day, a 
few hours ago, having had a very disagreeable crossing by 
Dieppe and Newhaven. I was next door to being sick, but 
escaped.- I enjoyed my visit to Paris very much and should 
have been soriy to leave, had it not been to enter upon my 
life-work. Last week I was gone four days from Paris, as 
I wanted to see Paray-le-Monial and Lourdes. The scenery 
about Lourdes is beautiful; it is, you know, in the 
Pyrenees, built partly upon a mountain and partly in the 
valley through which the river runs. The church is exquis- 
ite and in very good taste, and full of magnificent banners 
carried, there by pilgrims and left as souvenirs of the pil- 
grimage. I noticed our flag hanging up. There are not 
many people there now, as it is toO' late in the season and 
there is apt to be a great deal of rain; besides, the holiday 
tours are over, and people cannot leave home without some 
special reason. Of course there are always some invalids 
there. 

"I had quite a time getting to Lourdes, as I wanted to 
stop at Paray-le-Monial. I left Paris on Tuesday at 8.30 
in the evening, and had to change cars at 3 a. m. and wait 
an hour. However, by the change I made the acquaintance 
of a young Belgian. He was such a swell-looking fellow 
that I hesitated at first about getting into the same carriage 
with him. I did, tliough, and found in him a fellow pilgrim. 
Although rather uiondain looking, nevertheless he had re- 
solved to fly the world and retire into a monastery, as he 
had been very worldly, he told me. He is only twenty-eight, 
handsome and rich, and his friends and family are desolees, 

165 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

but he has to follow his vocation. I liked him very much, 
and was pleased to find in real life what sounds very like a 
novel. On parting he gave me a very pretty illuminated 
parchment card with a motto, Tensons au Ciel et nous 
aurons le courage d'etre fideles a Dieu quoiqu'il en coiite.' 
Very appropriate for us both. I, strange to say, had a card 
with the likeness of St. Norbert, the founder of the Order 
of the Premonstratensians, which was the order my friend 
had chosen. His name was Van der Heyden. 

"I could only spend a few hours at Paray-le-Monial, but 
long enough to see the Chapel of the Visitation. I had hard 
work to get thence tO' Lourdes, as it is all across country, 
and there were no through trains, and I was from 2 p. m. 
Wednesday until 7 p. m. Thursday en route and had to 
change six times. I made friends, though, so I did not mind 
it very much. I had nearly two days at Lourdes and got 
back to Paris on Sunday morning at 5.30, as I wanted to be 
once more at the Sunday services at my old friends, the 
Paris churches. ... 

"Your devoted son, 

"Harry." 

The letters which follow are addressed to his mother 
from the Novitiate. They possess a charm all their own; 
the piety is neither strained nor affected, and they show 
that he was happy, light-hearted and as fond of his mother 
as a loving and devoted son could be. 

"Manresa House, 
"roehampton, 

"November 17, 1878. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"I have no news to write you from here, so I will tell you 
a little about my life at present. So, to begin. Imagine a 

166 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER 

vei'}- large room- with three windows and six little cells par- 
titioned off with curtains for doors ; the rest of the room is 
open, has bureaus and desks for each of us, with a pleasant 
fire burning in the grate. Each cell has an iron bed, with 
comfortable mattress, a washstand and a chair. There are 
very many such dormitories; each has about six cells. Do 
not be alarmed at the word 'cell,' for it is in fact not at all 
alarming, but I can't think of any other word to suit. It 
is far more spacious than. the prophet's chamber in the wall; 
he certainly hadn't gas. 

"It is night, and we are all sleeping the sleep of the right- 
eous ; at a quarter past five in the morning a step is heard 
and a voice at each door calling out Deo gratias (Thanks be 
to God) ; everyone replies at once, Deo gratias, and jumps 
out of bed ; the fire is lighted and likewise the gas, and the 
work of washing and dressing begins. We have half an 
hour allowed us for it, then all go down to the Chapel, and 
the bell rings for the Angelids, which is so called because it 
is the memorial of the Incarnation of Our Lord, beginning 
with the words 'Angelus Domini' (the Angel of the Lord 
declared unto Mary, etc.), and ending with what you will 
find in the Prayer Book as the Collect for the Annunciation 
of the B. V. M. Then all make a prayer called the 'morn- 
ing oblation,' in which they offer up themselves, all their 
thoughts, words and actions, pains and sufferings of the day 
to Almighty God in union with those of Our Lord while on 
earth. It is very comprehensive, takes in everything, thanks- 
giving, intercession, confession of past faults, intentions for 
the future. There is no regular form for it, and ten minutes 
are allowed. Then we all return to our rooms and make a 
meditation on some text of scripture, events in Our Lord's 
life, or on some virtue or some vice, etc., which one can 

167 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

choose at will. This lasts for an hour and is clone kneeling 
for a quarter, standing for a quarter, sitting for a quarter, 
kneeling again for a quarter, during which resolutions for 
the day are made. Then all go to the chapel for Mass ; sev- 
eral times in the week we receive Holy Communion. At a 
quarter to eight we have breakfast, as much coffee, bread 
and butter as we can eat. At 8.25 we make our beds, doing 
it thoroughly, stripping them every day — this is de riguenr. 
At 8.35 we read Rodriguez on Christian Perfection. Then 
we have an exhortation upon some duty, after which we do 
some work about the house, help in the refectory, or the 
sacristy, or the chapel, or the kitchen, or the library, for 
tw^enty minutes. This is followed in fine weather by some 
manual labor, raking leaves, digging in the garden, rolling 
the paths, drawing water for drinking, etc. 

Of course the object of the work is to accustom us to help 
ourselves and to be ready for anything. It is good to have 
our hands going sometimes instead of our heads. The out- 
door work lasts about half an hour. Then we study, and at 
12.30 wash and get ready for dinner; at 12.45 we go into 
the chapel for wl^at is called the particular examen, that is 
we renew in our minds all we have thought, done, said, or 
omitted since the morning, dwelling on the resolution made 
in the morning's meditation to correct some fault or to prac- 
tice some act of virtue. The Angelus bell rings at 1, and 
when the prayer is said dinner begins. There is no talking 
at meals, but instead there is reading, first a portion of Scrip- 
ture, then some history or biography, ending with the list of 
the martyrs and saints whose anniversaries occur on the 
following day. After every meal all go into the chapel for 
a few moments of silent prayer. Recreation for an hour 
follows, with prayer for a quarter, reading of the Imitation 

168 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

uf Christ for another quarter, then work indoors and out- 
doors, with some free time afterwards. Three times a week 
one of us has to catechise the others as if they were children, 
in order to get faciHty in questioning and explaining. Twace 
a week we practise singing; and time is given for spiritual 
reading, lives of saints, etc. At six there is half an hour's 
meditation in the chapel, followed by prayers. Supper is at 
7.35, with recreation for an hour. At 9 litanies are recited 
in the chapel. After that we prepare points for the next 
morning's meditation; at 9.30 make an examination of con- 
science about all w^e have done, thought, said during the 
day; at a quarter to ten prepare for bed, and at ten lights 
out. 

**So you see we lead quite an active and certainly a very 
busy life ; at the same time it is a very spiritual one. During 
the day we speak only at recreation hours ; at other times 
whenever it is necessary, and then the language used must 
be Latin if possible; After all we have plenty of time for 
talking. On Wednesdays and Sundays we have long walks 
in fine weather, and on Sundays do not work. We are a 
very jolly set and very happy. Recreation hours are very 
lively; there are no cares to weigh upon us and everything 
to help us in our spiritual life. What more can we ask for? 
Of course, this is only for a time. In time of peace prepare 
for war, and this is our time of peace. The war time will 
come. We begin a month's retreat on the 24th, lasting un- 
til Christmas. During this I shall not be able to write any 
letters, but will make up for lost time when it is over, so do 
not be worried by not hearing from me, but write all the 
same. I have a commission for you. I want you to knit me 
a pair of hand muffs, also a pair of mittens. They will be 
useful for working and walking; black is the best color 

1G9 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

(excuse the bull), because it won't get soiled. I hope every- 
body thinks as often of me as I do of them. 

"Ever your devoted son, 

"Harry." 



"Manresa House, 

"roehampton, 

"Christmas Day, 1878. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"It is quite strange to begin writing letters again after 
my long silence. My first letter is, of course, to you. You 
know well how much and lovingly I have had you in my 
mind to-day. We had Mass at midnight, beginning by sing- 
ing 'Adeste Fideles' ; you may be sure that we sang it with 
all our might; one never tires of it, and it never seems hack- 
neyed. Christmas would seem incomplete without it. At 
Holy Communion I thought particularly of you and all my 
family. When one thinks of the Holy Family, one's thoughts 
naturally turn to our own, and no wonder Christmas is the 
family festival. 

"After the service we sang the Te Deum, which was very 
inspiring and solemn. We sang it to the old Gregorian, or 
rather Ambrosian music, and it added much to one's devo- 
tion to feel that those words and the music to which they 
Vvcre set had been in use fourteen hundred years in all coun- 
tries, and in so many different nations, always the identical 
words, the evergreen Latin, 'Te Deum Laudamus.' After 
it was over we had some bouillon and bread, and then we 
went to bed, having had our first taste of Christmas, and the 
best part, too, I may say. We were up again for Mass at 
seven. Unfortunately, it was not a very pleasant day out 
doors, but rather foggy and snowy, and we were not tempted 

170 



LETTERS' TO HIS MOTHER. 

to go out except for a little walk. It is real typical Christ- 
mas weather, with plenty of cold and snow, in keeping with 
the season. 

"I never saw anything more beautiful than it is here after 
a snow storm, when the sun comes out. We make our- 
selves useful, too, in shoveling or sweeping the snow from, 
the walks, and as we can take more than a half-mile walk 
round part of the grounds, there is no lack of employment 
for our spare moments. It is very healthy and good exer- 
cise, and freshens up the mind and warms up the body. The 
house is kept very comfortable with open fires ; some of the 
rooms have great old-fashioned fire places with andirons. 

"The decorations have been very tasteful and pretty. 
There was an abundance of material on the place — enor- 
mous hedges of laurel, great trees of holly, and no end of 
ivy. The hall ceiling is supported by columns, and round 
each is twined beautiful thick ivy vines, besides ropes of 
laurel and holly from column to column. You have no idea 
what a pretty effect of Bethlehem, and the cave, and the 
stable was made by means of brown paper and salt and 
greens, together with the figures of the Holy Family and 
the shepherds. Brown paper judiciously arranged makes 
splendid rocks, salt does for snow, greens for trees, etc. 
Really it is astonishing how realistic and pretty it is, and 
costs nothing but a little time and taste. It may sound child- 
ish, but notwithstanding it certainly does help one to realize 
the scene, and after all what is a picture, but canvas, paint, 
time and taste, or talent. 

''Christmas being a great festival, we talked at table dur- 
ing dinner, which is very unusual. I am not quite sure that 
it is an improvement upon the reading aloud, but the change 
is pleasant occasionally. 

171 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

'Saturday will be a great day for us — Holy Innocents' 
Day. We always have a great entertainment on that day, 
with a seance in the evening for our amusement. We are 
spectators, the Juniors provide the performance. One of 
the features of the day is having an Innocent Beadle. You 
must know, that the Beadle is a very important person ; he 
is a novice put in charge of the others, and has to make out 
all the notices, give all the orders for the different exercises 
of the day, ring the bells for beginning and ending every 
duty, answer all questions, give out whatever is wanted, 
pens, ink, soap, in fact doi any and everything. You may 
imagine that it is not a sinecure; indeed, the man who is 
selected for this office must be a very holy and superior 
novice tO' exercise these duties with patience, and gentleness, 
and recollection. Well, on Holy Innocents' day his duties 
are suspended, and all of us draw for the Innocent Beadle 
of the day; those who escape the doubtful honor amuse 
themselves by tormenting the unfortunate Innocent, who, 
however, can revenge himself by giving some unplea-^ant 
job to his tormentors. I hope it may not fall to my lot, al- 
though of course it is only fun and everything is done con 
amore. 

"I must close with warmest Christmas greetings to cv^ery- 
body. "Your devoted son, 

"Harry.^^ 



"Manresa House, 

''roehampton^ 
''Feast of the Purification, 1879. 
''My Dearest Mother: 

"This is a good day on which to write a letter to you, the 
Feast when the Blessed Virgin, publicly in the Temple, 

172 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

offered her Divine Son to His Eternal Father. Up to this 
time all had taken place as it were in private, the birth in 
the stable, the circumcision in the house, the worship of the 
shepherds and the Magi, but to-day He was presented in the 
Temple and declared to be 'The Light to lighten the Gen- 
tiles and the Glory of His people Israel' — and Simeon could 
say, *My eye§ have seen the Salvation,' which was to be 
wrought by this wonderful child of promise. 

"What a beautiful picture! The Holy Family, the 
Blessed Virgin, holding her Divine Son in her arms, St. 
Joseph carrying, probably, the modest offering oi the doves, 
and the Priest who was to receive, as minister of the Most 
High God, God the Son Incarnate. Then Simeon and Anna, 
prophesying and thanking God for the signal favor they 
had received in being allowed to live long enough to see the 
desire of Israel. At first sight we wonder why the Blessed 
Virgin did not offer the lamb, and then we think that she 
did indeed offer the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins 
of the world — the type would have been out of place in the 
presence of the antitype. Then, too, she would set us an 
example of humility and poverty. She, the princess of the 
House of David, makes the offering of the poor, though 
doubtless she had gold which had been presented by the 
Magi. But she teaches us a deeper lesson of humility by 
the very act of purification. She was not under the Law ; 
she, who had conceived by the power and the overshadowing 
of the Holy Ghost, could not be held by the law made for 
those who were mothers in the natural way. However, she 
does not avail herself of her privileges, but consents to act in 
* obedience to the commandments of the Law. 

"To any chance worshiper in the Temple this little party 
may have appeared very ordinary, poor and unworthy of 

173 






LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



attention, yet they were God the Son, His Mother, and His 
foster-father and the protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
So it was all through Our Lord's earthly life. He did not 
command the respect, and attention, and love of the people ; 
only a few chosen ones here and there could pierce the veil 
and see beneath the human form the Divine Person. So on 
Calvary, only the eye of Faith can recognize God, His 
Mother and with her another protector, St. John, for St. 
Joseph's work was ended, and he had gone to his rest in the 
arms of Jesus and Mary. Did you ever wonder how you 
would have acted had you been present in the Temple at the 
time of the presentation? I am afraid most of us would 
have turned away from, such an humble party. We are so 
accustomed to think of Our Lord as God, that we fail to 
realize His humanity and His humility. We are shocked at 
anything poor and common, at least our feeling is one of 
compassion and condescension. Well, as Our Lord's life 
on earth was marvellous, so is it now in the Sacrament of 
the Most Holy Eucharist. As St. Thomas Aquinas says in 
his hymn : — 

Sight and touch and taste, 

May naught of Him discern, 
But the soul that hearkens. 

Can the mystery learn. 
On the Cross Thy Godhead 

Only was concealed, 
Llere, not e'en Thy manhood. 

Is to sight revealed. 
But in both believing 

And confessing. Lord, 
Ask I what the dying 
Thief of Thee implored. 
174 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

I do not, like Thomas, 

See Thy wounds appear, 
But with him confess 

My Lord and God is here. 

"What a wonderful gift faith is, and how impossible to 
believe anything without it; everything is so full of mys- 
tery, yet it is not until we try to explain that we realize the 
depths of mystery. We really believe simply because we 
start w^ith the principle that God is omnipotent, and that 
nothing that does not contradict His attributes is beyond 
His power. And so it is as easy for Him to manifest Him- 
self under the veils of bread and wine as to^ manifest Him- 
self in the body He took in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. 
To say that it is impossible is to deny His omnipotence. 

'T have written quite a dissertation, haven't I? but it is 
hard to think of Our Lord under one form without being 
carried away to the other, the one under which we now with 
eyes of faith see Him. It is a great privilege to know Our 
Lord now by the light of faith, to receive in Holy Com- 
munion Him whom we shall see face to face when faitii 
shall become sight. In the meantime don't let us deceive 
ourselves by saying, I can't believe because I can't see. If 
we could see it would not be faith. 

"We have had the last of the Feasts of the Incarnation 
now, and Lent will soon be coming with the new phase of 
Our Lord's life. Surely we ought to pray like Him when 
Ave have always His life set before us as an example to 
follow. But I must be closing now. I enjoy your letters 
very much, my dearest mother. ... 

"Your devoted son, 

"Harry." 
175 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



"Manresa House, 

"roehampton, 

"March 12, 1879. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"It is quite a time since I wrote last, certainly not this 
month ; but I have been kept so busy that I could not man- 
age it. As I told you in my last, I have been Refectorian, 
and my offices lasted a month. For two weeks I was third 
assistant and then promoted to first, which is much more re- 
sponsible. I had no leisure at all to speak of ; none for writ- 
ing- letters, for one always has certain odds and ends that 
can't be put off. Upon the whole, now that once more I am 
comparatively free, I rather enjoyed being in the refectory. 
It is a complete change, as one does not follow the ordinary 
exercises, but devotes all one's attention to the preparation 
for meals. But do not think by this that we spend all our 
time eating. There are only the ordinary three meals a day, 
with the addition of coffee at 5 o'clock to brighten us up a 
little for our meditation at 6. Meditations are never dis- 
pensed with ; there is always the hour in the morning, the 
half-hour in the evening, and the usual quarter-hour at mid- 
day and at night for the examination of conscience to see 
what falls we have had and what p'rogress we have made, 
and to make resolutions for the future. Every one has to 
allow full time to these, and to Mass in the morning and 
Litanies in the evening; so you see no matter what office 
one has, the most important spiritual duties are always in- 
sisted upon. Besides this, for half an hour before supper 
the first Refectorian reads aloud for the lay brothers in the 
kitchen from some life of a saint, or chapters of the Imita- 
tion of Christ, while they are busy peeling apples, cutting 
toast, etc. It was always a very pleasant half hour. I used 

176 



LETTERS' TO HIS MOTHER. 

to get very much flurried at first in my office, but the last 
week I got quite accustomed to it. It is rather trying, as 
you have so many bothering you at the same time. For in- 
stance, in the morning about ten novices are sent down to 
help you, and you have to assign each a task and see that 
they do it j^roperly. They only stay twenty minutes and do 
onl}^ part of the work, and then you and your regular assist- 
ants have to supply all deficiencies, which is sometimes more 
troublesome than if you did the whole thing yourself. At 
meals I had to stand at a large table just outside the refec- 
tory door and give out all the dishes which came from the 
kitchen on a kind of turnstyle, a one-storied dumb waiter; 
see that the servers got the right dishes and then pile up all 
the plates as they were brought out used, collecting the 
knives, forks and spoons, and putting them into partitions 
in a box to be washed and then sending the plates tO' the 
scullery. When sixty sit down to a meal, a good deal has to 
pass through your hands. But this is not all, for as soon as 
the first dinner is over, three minutes are allowed to prepare 
the tables for a second dinner of thirty people. This has to 
be done in an awful hurry-scurry, and then I sit down to this 
second meal. Such are the principal points of what I have 
been undergoing, and you can imagine that there is a good 
deal of anxiety lest something be forgotten, and it is quite a 
relief to be once more at the usual routine, in comparative 
quiet, and with some spare moments. 

'T had a task given me directly after my time in the re- 
fectory, for my turn came to give a tone or short sermon 
before the novices. The text was, 'That no' man overreach 
or circumvent his brother in business.' It is rather a diffi- 
cult text, and I had only a short time to prepare, as the 
warning is given on Sundav morning to preach on Monday, 

' 177 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

with only the spare moments to prepare for the ordeal. It 
has to be extempore and I got very much confused and 
nervous, but I managed to scramble through with two awful 
pauses. But enough of myself ; too much, I fear. 

"Your devoted son, 

"Harry." 

"Manre^a House, 

"roehampton, 
"Feast of the Annunciation, 1879. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

" . . . I am glad the cold weather is on the wane, as 
it is trying in Lent. They take great care of us, and do not 
allow any extravagances in fasting. Every one has to con- 
sult the doctor to see if he have strength ; if not, only a little 
mortification of one's appetite, which couldn't hurt anyone, 
is permitted. 

"The season has gone, so far, very quickly, and Holy 
Week will soon be here. I expect to enjoy it very much, as 
we shall have interesting services in our chapel and plenty 
of singing. I have been promoted to singing in the choir, 
which adds much to my pleasure, and we have been busily 
practising for some time for the Holy Week services. I 
should like you to hear them, for they are. very well done. 
I am one of the basses, and it is interesting to sing a part 
and quite a novelty for me, as I have been accustomed to 
having it all my own way. 

"What a beautiful feast to-day is, and yet, not coming on 
a Sunday, it does not receive as much attention as it de- 
serves ; for what is the festival of the Annunciation but the 
beginning of the Incarnation of Our Lord? We are apt to 
tliink of it as the time when the announcement was made to 

178 



LETTERS' TO HIS MOTHER. 

the Blessed Virgin, and to forget that when she gave her 
consent and said, *Be it done unto me according to Thy 
word,' immediately the Holy Ghost overshadowed her, and' 
she conceived and became the Mother of God. I know that 
I myself never used to connect Our Lord's conception with 
the Annunciation; in fact I never used to think very much 
about it, and only contented myself with generalities and 
did not realize as much of the mystery as is possible for us 
and which we are bound to do. For what can be of greater 
importance and interest to Christians than all that is con- 
nected with the life of Our Lord on the earth, and His death 
and risen life? All these are mentioned in the beautiful 
collect of the feast, which is used by us three times a day 
at the Angehis, as I remember telling you, as the memorial 
of the Incarnation. 

''I think I said in my last letter that I am no longer in the 
refectory, but have no ofhce at present, taking things easy. 
The object, you know, of offices is not to get work out of 
us. but to teach us to be able to do anything useful, and to 
learn how to manage for oneself if in command, or how to 
obey if under another. 

"Your devoted son, 

"Harry." 

"Manresa House, 

"roehampton, 
"Easter Monday, April 13, 1879. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"I will begin by wishing you all the Easter joys, and 
what joys can compare with them? Not even Christmas 
can equal Easter, for it is the conception of what was begun 
at Christmas, and is the pledge of our own resurrection. 

179 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Lent has passed rather quickly, the last week especially, be- 
cause we were very busy preparing for the musical part of 
the services. Everything went off very successfully, the 
music was well rendered and was well chosen. On Wednes- 
day, Thursday and Friday we had the Tenehrae, which con- 
sists of a beautiful selection of Psalms and Antiphons, to- 
gether with lessons and the lamentations of Jeremiah, with 
appropriate responses. Everything was sung without ac- 
companiment, the responses and antiphons in harmony, as 
well as the 'Benedictus' and the 'Miserere.' At the close of 
the service the choir sang an anthemi, 'Christ was made obe- 
dient unto death,' which was very touching. On Maundy 
Thursday we had a fine service in commemoration of the 
Institution of the Holy Eucharist. On Good Friday we 
went to our church in London for the Three Hours' service 
between 12 and 3. The fime passed so quickly that I could 
scarcely believe that we had been really three hours in 
church. One reason was that there was a great deal of 
variety, and we were not kept long in any one position. 
The choir would sing an anthem, and then an address on 
one of the seven last words of Our Lord would follow, then 
some prayers, with responses by the people. It was very im- 
pressive and devotional. There were no drawbacks, every- 
thing went smoothly and we were most punctual, going in 
as the clock struck twelve and coming out exactly at three. 
There was an overflowing congregation, who were most at- 
tentive and stayed right through from beginning to end. 
Yesterday we went again to our church, in Farm Street, for 
Vespers, and had a beautiful service. One feels on Easter 
day inclined to shout for joy. 

"We are taking things easy this week; at least we are 
supposed to do so, but there is a great deal of walking, 

180 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

which sometimes is more tiring than anything else. I have 
come out from Lent in the best possible health, without a 
cold or an ache. The weather is cold and disagreeable for 
this season. . . . 

"It is a consolation that after all we can be so near in 
spirit and thought tO' those we love, as to imagine almost 
exactly what is taking place even three thousand miles away, 
for we can travel over space in the twinkling of an eye. 
Hereafter when we shall have glorified bodies at the resur- 
rection, even our bodies will overcome all the obstacles that 
now keep us confined, just as Our Lord could pass through 
the sealed stone of the sepulchre or the closed doors of the 
upper chamber where the Apostles were assembled. In the 
meanwhile it is a comfort to be able to be so near one an- 
other in spirit. 

''With best love and Easter greetings to all, 

"I am your devoted son, 

"H. V. R." 

"Manresa House, 

"ROEHAMPTQiN, 

"London, S.W., May 7, 1879. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

". . '. I hope you have been more fortunate in weather 
than we have been, for May has not, sO' far, deserved its 
name at all, but is much more like March, altho' we had 
our full share of March winds too. The famous east wind 
has been blowing pretty steadily even this month. Every- 
thing in consequence is dreadfully backward ; the trees have 
only begun to bud this last week, but unfortunately there 
have been little flurries of hail and snow which will injure 
the blossoms of the fruit trees which have just struggled 

181 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

out. The cuckoo has been singing that springtime is near, 
but this year he has been mistaken. We have a cuckoo 
hving close to the house; in fact, there are birds of all kinds 
in the neighborhood and they furnish plenty of music. In 
summer there are nightingales, they say, but they are such- 
late birds, and we such early ones, that I doubt if we ever 
hear them. They don't begin to sing until ten, and about 
that time we begin to snore. . . . 

"Our life here is so regular that one week is very like an- 
other unless some feast day happens to break the monotony 
• — monotony I mean in a good sense and not tedium. 

'T took a long walk on Sunday afternoon to hear Ves- 
pers at the Carmelite Church. It must have been nearly 
twelve miles altogether, but it was a very pleasant day, 
warm and sunny, and the road rather a pretty one, and I 
had a chance to rest during the service. I feel at home in 
that church particularly, because I know one of the Fathers, 
and used to go there last year. They have a foreign con- 
gregation, and a good many of the diplomats and others 
attend." 

"May 9th. 

'T had to stop and have not had a chance to tinish until 
now, when I have a few minutes. I have been busy pre- 
paring for a catechising which I had to give before the 
novices and one of the Fathers. My subject was Confirma- 
tion, and I primed myself thoroughly so that I got through 
very well, only being criticized as being toO' learned and 
giving too many authorities. It is rather hard to treat as 
children grown men who know as much about the subject 
as you do yourself. And yet that is what we are supposed 
to do in order to get a facility in asking questions as simply 

182 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

as possible and to explain in short and easy words. Usually 
a story of some kind is told to enliven the young ones. We 
get another chance at story-telling every evening, for there 
is always a pious story with a good moral at our recreation 
and each one has his turn. I told one very apropos the 
other evening. 

"We are all busy this month in preparing sermons, as 
each one has to preach before the community at supper 
time. As many of the novices seem to be trusting mamiy 
to books, I selected an instance in St. Vincent Ferrer's life. 
He was a great Dominican preacher and missionary, and a 
very holy man. One day he was told that a distinguished 
nobleman was coming to hear him preach. The saint usually 
relied principally upon prayer for his sermons, but on this 
occasion, departing from, his custom, he gave the time to 
extra study. The consequence was that he did not preach 
as well as usual, and the nobleman went home disappointed. 
However, he went another time unannounced and was de- 
lighted. This was told St. Vincent, who replied: 'No 
wonder, for the first time he heard Vincent preach, but this 
time it was Jesus Christ, Himself.' It is a pretty anecdote, 
is it not? But I must stop. With best love for everybody 
and most for yourself, 

''Ever your devoted son, 

"Harry." 

"Manresa House, 

"roehampton, 

"August 17, 1879. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"Many happy returns of your birthday; not such happi- 
ness as the world can give or appreciate, but true and solid, 

183 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



which can come from God alone, and which consists m 
growing in the deeper knowledge of Our Lord and of the 
end for which we were created — to serve, praise and rever- 
ence Him. Few people, when really brought face to face 
with this truth, will deny it, but at the same time they do 
practically deny or at least ignore it. Look at their lives, 
how perfectly aimless they seem, unless one can call that the 
aim of their life to which they devote most of their time, 
energy, attention and money. And what a waste of time it 
will seem to them when they are called upon to give an ac- 
count of their lives. Vanity of vanities, indeed ! Yet, with 
the best of intentions, how hard it is for us to keep really 
before our eyes the object of our being! We so crave after 
happiness that we practically do' make it our aim, and so in 
the real sense it is happiness, but only that which comes 
from doing God's will as well as we can. What happiness, 
what satisfaction, when we can say and feel after some- 
thing we have done, that our intention was purely God's 
glory ! Too often some vanity, self-seeking or other motive 
has crept in to take away the merit of the action, or at least 
tarnish its lustre. The greater gloiy of God is our motto, 
this the object, the summing up of our lives. This will be 
the standard by which we shall be judged, and is it not a 
glorious one, too? The glory of God, who laid aside the 
glory which he had with His Father before the creation of 
the world. He abased Himself and we must exalt Him. 
He led the way and we must follow Him; the way of the 
cross is the only way that leads to true happiness. We may 
have the cross laid upon us or we may take it upon our- 
selves of our own accord. It is a great consolation for those 
whose lot lies in home duties, to think of Our Lord's life at 
Nazareth with His Mother and St. Joseph. What quiet 

184: 



LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

and apparently uneventful lives they led for thirty years; 
to human eyes St. Joseph seemed only the carpenter; the 
Mother of God only his wife; and Our Lord Himself only 
the carpenter's son. Truly it matters very little what the 
world thinks of us, what opinion it passes upon us. We 
are living not for it and its judgment, nor can it appreciate 
pure motives. So it often happens that those who are con- 
sidered unfortunate are very far from being so-; for the 
trials they have undergone have been so many means of 
grace, means of bringing them nearer their Divine Model, 
whO' was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. 
Really, one's own experience tells one that frequently in 
penitential seasons of the Church we have more true peace 
and comfort than at the greater 'festivals, which often bring 
with them dissipation of heart, and we do not feel as near 
Our Lord as when kneeling at the foot of the Cross. Then 
we throw ourselves, as it were, upon Him for support, for 
we feel our weakness and need His sympathy, and with 
such dispositions we can never fail tO' touch His Sacred 
Heart ever open to the sighs of His children. 

'T wish that I could drop in upon you now and then to 
have a little chat. Letters are so unsatisfactory; one never 
says what one wants to, but very often just the reverse. I 
hope I have not done so' this time. At any rate you will un- 
derstand me aright. You are always much in my thoughts. 
With best wishes, I am, my dearest mother, 
''Your devoted son, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer.'' 



185 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

''Manresa House, 

^'roehampto'n, 

"November 16, 1879. 
''My Dearest Mother: 

" . . . Last Thursday was a great day with us — the 
feast of our Patron, St. Stanislaus Kostka. He is the patron 
saint of all novices, because he died a novice, when he was 
only eighteen years old. As the Church says of him in the 
collect of his day, Almighty God had bestowed on him in 
tender youth the grace of mature sanctity. He is the Patron 
of Poland, and one of the most popular saints, especially 
among the young. I daresay you recollect seeing some 
frescoes representing scenes in his life in our Church in 
Montreal. 

"It was a day for long walks — sunny, though cold. Bro. 
Sherman and another and I thought we should spend our 
morning profitably by paying a visit to Nazareth House, a 
home for aged men and women and homeless children. It 
is under the care of Sisters very like the Little Sisters of 
the Poor. We were delighted with everything we saw, 
were very kindly received, and the Mother General of the 
Order showed us all over the establishment. Everything 
was in the most exquisite order. Each bed had a many- 
colored patch-work spread and looked comfortable and 
cheery. The old people said that nothing could exceed the 
kindness of the Sisters, and there were some Protestants 
who told me the same. The Sisters, many of them of good 
family, do all the work themselves, and live entirely on what 
they get by alms. Their food consists of scraps which they 
beg. One cannot imagine happier, more contented and 
gayer people than these Sisters, who are brimful of charity 
and zeal. There were children either idiotic or nearly so, 

18G 




ELIZABETH RAY KING, 
^rOTTTER OF REV. HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



LETTERS' TO HIS MOTHER. 

but I was glad to see them in such a home. We went away 
very much edihed, and thankful that there are so many de- 
voted people who were glad to leave the world and what it 
can give in the way of pleasures, and live a life of hard 
work and service for the bodies of others that they may save 
their souls. When we got back to Manresa House we had 
a panegyric of our Saint by one of the novices; then came 
Benediction and afterwards dinner with conversation. In 
the evening there was a seance in which the choir figured 
by singing several glees. Brother Sherman composed and 
read a very pretty poem on the bell which announces our 
duties. As he had the office of ringing it as beadle not long 
ago, he could speak feelingly. There were some other 
poems and readings, and altogether we enjoyed ourselves 
very much. The choir have been kept very busy of late 
getting ready the glees for the seance, and besides that we 
sing Vespers in our own chapel every Sunday afternoon; 
we have also to prepare new music for Christmas, which 
will be upon us before we know it. 

"Love to everybody, much for yourself, 

"Your devoted son, 

"H. V. R." 

"Manresa House, 

"roehampton, s. w., 

"April 22, 1880. 
"My Dearest Mother : 

"The weeks have been slipping by so quickly and un- 
eventfully that I can hardly keep any track of my letters. 
We are having most lovely weather now, for it is full 
spring. The country is delightful. How thankful I am to 
be able to enjoy it ! With all the helps that the beauties of 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

nature give, one ought to live more in God's presence in the 
country than in the city. Everything is so peaceful and 
fitted to raising one's thoughts from earth tO' heaven, yet I 
doubt if country people are as religious as the city people; 
perhaps the latter feel more need of God's help than the 
others ; still we cannot help feeling hov^ weak man is when 
we see the changes of nature. What can he do? Nothing; 
not even force a blade of grass tO' grow ; and so a lesson of 
humility is preached by every blade of grass and every tinv 
flower. But it is a lesson we do' not heed, it is so contrary 
to our wishes and inclinations. We make up our mind to 
praise and admire humility as a virtue; when, however, it 
is urged upon us, we rebel. Why is it that so many thou- 
sands who' call themselves Christians, and profess to be fol- 
lowers of the Crucified, cannot bear the sight of a picture 
which represents Our Lord crucified, much less a carved 
crucifix ? It is simply because it pictures to them too readily 
and vividly what their Captain and Leader has done and 
suffered, and what He expects of them. They are not pre- 
pared for any such imitation of Christ as this. They do not 
object to reading about it, but that is enough. You see how 
a blade of grass has carried me off. Still, we can never 
think enough about our own weakness and wdiat should 
arise out of the consideration of it — what we should be, 
humble and ready to accept what Almighty God proposes 
tO' us. 

"What a dreadful state of things in France ! One must 
always hope for a turn of the scales, there are so many ups 
and downs in that changeable country. I am glad there is 
such a unity of action among all the religious orders and all 
the bishops; they realize the truth that it is religion that is 
being attacked and not any one order in the Church. It is 

188 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

certainly a strange Republic where there is no freedom. We 
have had some very good music lately, though I say it who 
shouldn't, being in the choir. We have been singing one of 
Gounod's masses. We also had a seance in honor of the 
Provincial, who has been making his visitation. We sang 
'The Storm.' To-day, the 23d, is St. George's Day, and is 
a holiday, which gives me a chance of writing. I have also 
a sermon on hand which I must preach on the 12th of May. 
My ideas do not flow as I should like. I wish you would 
get 'Christian Schools and Scholars.' It is a charming 
book, giving an excellent and pleasant picture of the early 
and middle age Christianity. It is not a controversial work 
at all, merely historical. They are really dark ages because 
most people knOw so little about them., but it is astonish- 
ing to find how bright the true light shone in those rude 
times. . . ." 

"Ever your devoted son, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer.'' 

Van Rensselaer's stay in England was drawing to a close 
Under the strict discipline of the novitiate, he had become a 
new man with new ideals, new aspirations, new impulses, 
and new ways of thinking and acting. This mental and 
spiritual development, or rather transformation, is shown in 
a letter written while still a first year novice: — 

"The time is slipping away, a time of much grace. The 
saying is, that the height of sanctity to which we aspire in 
the noviceship will be the highest to which we shall ever 
aspire in after life; so we must aim now at nothing short of 
being saints, however impossible that may now seem. After 
all, what is a saint but one who so fully corresponds to the 

189 



LETTERS' TO HIS MOTHER. 

grace given him that he merits more and more ? It is simply 
acting up to our vocation and the abundant graces given to 
us. Tensons au ciel et nous aurons le courage d'etre fideles 
a Dieu quoiqu'il en coute.' This motto was on a signet that 
a fellow-pilgrim to Paray-le-Monial gave me, and if we did 
but keep the end in view, all would seem very plain." 

The progress he made in the knowledge and practice of 
spiritual things was such that he could now be entrusted 
with the guidance of other souls, and in the last letter from 
Roehampton, he writes enthusiastically of a work of this 
nature committed to his charge. 

*'May, 1880. 
'T have a delightful task at present, to unfold the reli- 
gious life to two lay-brother postulants; they are both con- 
verts of two years' standing, but totally unlike; both very 
good, and earnest, and teachable. It is most humiliating to 
speak to them of high ideals and perfection, and then to 
realize how far short one is oneself. But it is most inspirit- 
inging to feel that one is really helping others. I have had 
a great increase of love for the Spiritual Exercises of St. 
Ignatius. I have been reading the life of Father de Ponle- 
voy, the author of de Ravignan's life, and his intimate 
friend. They were both men of the Exercises; everything 
they did or said was influenced by them. This is my aim, 
as it should be that of every Jesuit. Father Morris has been 
a great help to me. He has been away for two weeks giving 
a mission at Arundel. His place was taken by Father Pur- 
brick, for many years Rector of Stonyhurst. He is a con- 
vert, an Oxford man, the most perfect gentleman I ever 
saw, most spiritual, most humble, most talented. There is 
a paragon. His short rule was a delightful one." 

390 



CHAPTER XIL 
Woodstock College. 

VAN RENSSELAER returned to America in the sum- 
mer of 1880, with two other Americans, his fellow 
novices at Roehampton, Thomas Sherman, a son of Gen. 
Willam Tecumseh Sherman, and Thomas Kernan,. a son of 
Senator Kernan of New York. After a brief stay at St. 
Francis Xavier's, New York City, Van Rensselaer, as he 
was still a novice, went on to the novitiate of the Mary- 
land-New York Province, at Frederick, Md. 

A few days after his arrival at the novitiate he wrote to 
his sister, Mrs. George Waddington : 

"Novitiate, 

"Frederick City, ]\Id. 

"August 1, 1880. 
"My Dear Bessie: 

" . . . I had a pleasant visit in New York, although 
I found the family very much scattered. I am convinced 
that it is unadvisable in religious questions to say anything 
aggressive. Try to let people know what the true religion 
is and then leave the rest to God. We, having the truth on 
our side, can always speak with authority, and this is pecu- 
liar to the Catholic Church. I found on the steamer that 
when one inquired into what people believed in their hearts, 
it amounted to Universalism — that God is very good and 
merciful and will not condemn. They call themselves Pres- 
byterians, and Episcopalians, and free thinkers; there was 

191 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

much they had in common, the rest they considered merely 
external forms. As I look back now on our trip, I think we 
wasted time ; for several days we kept quite aloof until peo- 
ple began to question us, and even then we were rather on 
the defensive. Father Pardow, who was our leader, told 
me not tO' be shy in talking, but to improve my opportunities, 
so then I set tO' work, and having had experience in religious 
matters I discovered in myself a certain power. In the end 
I talked quite openly, though in the beginning everyone 
warned everyone else against us, and a third person invaria- 
bly would come up to try to interfere. The captain regu- 
larly walked off with two ladies who' wished tO' talk with 
me, and naturally I was at a disadvantage because I could 
not walk up and down the deck with ladies. In the end, 
however, I won over the captain ; he and I became excellent 
friends, and he entered into^ a compact not tO' interfere. 
People respect you much more if you talk to them up and 
down without fear. 

"I am; delighted with the Jesuits I have met in America. 
They have overwhelmed me with kindness. I spent a few 
hours at Woodstock en route, and was charmed. I will tell 
you more about it when I go there in September. Frederick 
is a great contrast to Roehampton ; there is something very 
gentle and sympathetic about the Fathers and novices here. 
Not that they were not good and kind in England, but John 
Bull has his peculiarities. It is pleasant to be in a religious 
habit, rosary -and all. The Roehampton novices lose much 
by not wearing the habit. Here the novices are wonder- 
fully edifying. 

'T shall enjoy my month in this place immensely. The. 
scenery in the neighborhood is beautiful, but best of all there 
is here a wonderful spirit of charity and gentleness; just 

192 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

what I need and hope to get, for my late experience on the 
ship tells me that what people yearn for is sympathy and 
kindness. . . . 

"Ever your devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer, SJ." 

In the beginning of September he reported for his studies 
in philosophy at Woodstock, Md., where he was to spend 
three faithful and happy years. On the approach of the 
Feast of All Saints, he returned to Frederick to take his 
first vows as a Jesuit scholastic. The interruption was a 
brief one, for it was from Woodstock College that he wrote 
the following letter : 

"Woodstock, 

"November 3, 1880. 
"I have had the great happiness of taking the vows. I 
went down to Frederick on Saturday afternoon, spent Sun- 
day in recollection and silence, and then on Monday in the 
domestic chapel, took my vows before the Community. Just 
think, I had about thirty Masses said for me that day, be- 
sides many receiving Holy Communion for my intention. 
There is such a beautiful feehng of charity in the Society. 
I like this quotation very much and it has made a great im- 
pression on me: Tetit sacrifice, petit bonheur; grand sac- 
rifice, grand bonheur ; sacrifice complet, bonheur complet.' " 

Shortly after his reception into the Church his sister, who 
had also heard God's voice calling her to a religious life, en- 
tered the novitiate of the Sisters of Charity at Mount St. 
Vincent-on-Hudson, New York. Most of the following 
letters are addressed to her. On the Feast of the Immacu- 
late Conception, 1880, he writes : 

193 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



''I do not know that I have ever spent a happier feast, 
except perhaps All Saints, and this was a breathing of the 
same air. We had our half-yearly renovation of vows. 
What the Society wishes is homo in vita spirituali perfec- 
tus, and for this, great talents are not necessary, thank God, 
else I might despair of attaining it, for I shall never shine 
as a learned man, nor do I regret it much. It has many 
dangers which I shall be spared. Let us desire better gifts, 
for desire paves the way." 

The Christmas holidays brought with them welcome re- 
laxation from the study of dialectics and abstruse meta- 
physics. He writes :— 

''Woodstock College, 
"December 27, 1880. 
"What a delightful season this is ! How one's heart over- 
flows with love and gratitude to the God who cares so ten- 
derly for His ungrateful creatures! This has been a very 
happy season for me ; we are like a large, yet united family, 
rejoicing with holy simplicity in our little pleasures. We 
have had several entertainments, one most amusing, some 
acting Scrooge and Marley in Dickens' 'Christmas Story.' 
The parts were capitally taken, and we laughed ourselves 
hoarse. Last night we had a Christmas tree with a present 
drawn by lot for everybody, so that one got generally just 
the wrong thing — a non-smoker, for instance, would be sure 
to receive a pipe, etc. Some amusing things were said very 
apropos, and a clever local poem read. On Wednesday we 
are to have Father Ryan, the poet-priest, for our guest ; he 
has a poem for the occasion, and there will be others from 
Ours, as we have several poets among us. The choir have 
several fine glees ready, so altogether we expect a pleasant 

194 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

evening. I have enjoyed singing in the Christmas choir and 
in the glees. It is my greatest amusement. You see by this 
that we are quite a Hvely set of people, in fact, the lightest- 
hearted in the world, I believe." 

A month later his letter takes on a more sombre hue. It 
was probably written at the beginning of the Lenten season ; 
the exact day of the month is not given. 

"Woodstock^ 

"February, 1881.- 
"How hard it is for us to make full use of our oppor- 
tunities ! There is not a moment in the day or night when 
we might not be meriting by a silent aspiration, a genuflec- 
tion, even a smile, a pleasant word, a trifling act of fore- 
thought. These are the brilliants, tiny indeed, but they 
will add great lustre to- our crowns. I remember Father 
Porter impressed upon us to make frequent acts of perfect 
charity. It might seem presumptuous at first sight, but he 
said it was not so, and we should tell Our Lord that we do 
love Him^ or at least desire to love Him, as well as any 
creature can love Him, even the Seraphim and His Blessed 
Mother herself. The desire comes from Him, so it must be 
most pleasing to Him, who is Perfect Charity. We must 
decide to make the recreation hour the most profitable of 
the day, and with this intention prepare for it by an act of 
perfect charity, either in the chapel or on our way to the 
recreation room. Our selfishness often hinders us from 
helping our companions; I speak from experience. There 
were certain novices in England with whom I was not much 
thrown, and I never sought them out when it was left free 
to choose. By accident, a few weeks before I left, I sat next 

iy5 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

one at recreation. He seemed downcast, and by some kindly 
questions I found that although within a few months of his 
vows, he had not grasped the idea of the religious life. He 
had all kinds of doubts as to his vocation. I tried to show 
him the serpent's trail, and pointed out the beauties of our 
life. To my surprise, I found that he had always felt drawn 
to me, although I had done nothing to deserve it. When I 
left he was one of the most affected and the last to bid fare- 
well, as he stole away from the others and was at the lodge 
gate for a last good-bye. The other day I had a letter from 
him saying how happy he now was in his vocation. He had 
taken his vows, and his doubts had long since vanished. 
The moral may apologize for my speaking of this, and I 
was only the unworthy mouth-piece of the Holy Ghost." 

In March he alludes feelingly to St. Joseph : — 

"Let us have great confidence; this should be the domi- 
nant note of all our prayers; it will make them most pleas- 
ing to God. We should ask like children who feel they have 
a right to ask, and are sure of having their petition granted, 
because they cannot conceive the possibility of their Father 
being unable or unwilling to fulfil their desires. I think I 
owe a great deal to St. Joseph. I am, convinced that he 
helped me to my vocation, as his month in Paris, our first 
month as Catholics, was a fruitful season to me, although I 
was then only groping in the dark and cold and could not 
tell whither Providence was leading me. Those are happy 
days to look back upon, but what a blessing to be settled in 
our proper place." 

The Winter of 1880-81 was unusually severe. Old- 
timers could recall nothing like it. All the more enjoyable 

196 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

was it when the Spring came in all its freshness, and the 
scholastics could take their long walks in the environs of 
Woodstock. How those days were spent and enjoyed by 
Van Rensselaer, we learn in the following letter : — 

*'May 12, 1881. 
''Yesterday, the feast of St. Francis Jerome, Mr. X. and 
I made an excursion. We left at 7 A. M. and got back at 
a little after 6 in the evening. It was one of the pleasantest 
days of my life. Mr. X. is amiable, clever, intellectual and 
spiritual. We made our meditation on the way, pausing 
now and then, when it was concluded, to rest ourselves and 
pick wild flowers. Our chief object was to discuss the 
Tundamentum' of the Spiritual Exercises, which we did 
from time to time, as the spirit moved us. The terminus of 
our walk was a mission church belonging to us, about ten 
miles away. We took a cold dinner with us and refreshed 
ourselves at midday in the shady woods by the bank of a 
stream. When we reached the church we played on the 
harmonium and sang hymns, etc., to our hearts' content, and 
then retraced our steps to Woodstock. It was a perfect day." 

The following letters and extracts from letters, written 
at this time, show how, as a student, Van Rensselaer ever 
kept before him the high ideals of the novitiate. 

"WOO'DSTOCK, 

''My Dear Sister: "May 23, 1881. 

"P. C. 
"I must congratulate you upon having completed the two 
years successfully, and wish you perseverance not only until 
the vows, but until you are called to the reward of thos^ 

197 



LIFE OF HF:NRY VAN RENSSELAER 

who persevere until the end. Perhaps you may think the 
two years have not produced as much change in you as you 
expected and hoped, but we are poor judges in our own case 
and I am sure that the progress has been real and great, 
although it may not seem so to you. One may safely admit 
in almost every case, that more might have been effected 
had there been a readier, and more generous, and more thor- 
ough correspondence with grace, and this must urge us on 
to greater activity, for active we must be if we would ac- 
complish anything! This activity is shown largely in re- 
sisting, 'agendo contra,' as St. Ignatius puts it. How com- 
paratively easy would the building process be if the founda- 
tions were solidly and surely laid, but with many of us our 
whole lives are liable to be spent in laying the foundation, 
beginning now with one corner, now with another, and then 
changing our whole plan. The consequence is, at last we 
say we have spent time enough about the foundation and 
must see to the superstructure and often build on sand and 
not on the rock of solid virtues. So I confess it is with 
me in great measure. We would wish to grow to perfection 
without having practised the rudiments ; we think of finish- 
ing touches before we have well drawn even the outline. 
The knowledge of our own weaknesses and follies may be 
turned into a source of strength if, knowing ourselves to be 
weak, we rely upon a higher power and throw ourselves 
u^XDn His mercy and compassion. How can He be so for- 
bearing with us ? How hard we find it to be so with others ! 
I think if we could conquer ourselves in this one point, vic- 
tory would crown our efforts in all others. We are so 
exacting and rigid in regard to others, and how much we 
need to be borne with ourselves ! They disgust us with some 
little eraucherie or want of bienseance, and we offend them, 

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WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

ur al least should offend them had they not great charity, by 
our pride and overbearingness. Weighed in the scales, 
which would outweigh ? There can be no question. 

''Our lives inust be apostolic and we must acquire the 
apostolic virtues and first of all charity, as St. Paul says, 
'charitas Christi urget nos,' that is, charity should be the 
motive power of our lives, the cause of our words and ac- 
tions. For why have we followed Him except for the love 
of Him? We must strive, then, to make this evident in act, 
for words w-ithout the acts make us laughable. Nor should 
we be downcast because we have made such failures in our 
attempts. We have failed, but that is past; success lies in 
the future, and strength in the present ; the failures will at 
least teach us humility, and so we may draw good out of 
evil ; constant effort will necessarily produce the effect which 
is in our power, but it must be a constant, persevering, un- 
daunted effort — it shall be, that is our resolution. 

"I sincerely trust that you may have the happiness of 
taking your vows in July; it gives stability of feeling. Have 
not the two years gone quickly? I can scarce believe that 
it is nearly a year since I left England. I often hear from 
Manresa; things are flourishing over there. I am strug- 
gling now^ really hard for the examination, and sometimes I 
am a little anxious about it lest I break down. However, 
I shall try to be prudent and then trust to Providence. We 
are reviewing all the philosophic matter of the year and, 
as you may imagine,- it is not a small quantity, and being 
very abstruse is hard to remember. I shall have to finish 
this letter at once as time is up. Praying that the Atixilium 
C hristianoriiin will obtain for you your heart's desire, as I 
doubt not she will, I am your devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer, S.J." 
199 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"Woodstock. 



'Teast of Blessed Berchmans, 188:;J. 
"My Dear Sister: 

"P. C. 

"I am certain not to have time to finish this letter to-day, 
but I will at least begin tO' show you that you are not out of 
mind on our Patron's feast. How far behind him. we are 
in perfection! The comparison, even, seems absurd, yet 
why should it? He was of the very same nature as our- 
selves, and had the same passions to struggle against and 
flesh to mortify. Wherein, then, lies the difference? It 
must be in the steadiness of his resolutions. We resolve, but 
we so often fail in the execution through a want of con- 
stancy. We get weai-y in well-doing and yield to our in- 
clination to indulge ourselves if it be only a harsh judgment 
or a cross word now and then. We cannot imagine our 
Blessed John ever giving way to such an indulgence of tem- 
per. By constant resistance of the inclination it will by de- 
grees become so far weakened that at length it will die a 
natural death. We must not despair, though this consum- 
mation appears one of those things which, though indeed 
possible, does not seem probable. Why should we not aim 
at it with all our might, humbling ourselves under failure, 
but none the less persevering ? The perseverance will finally 
be crowned. Do you not know from your own experience 
how changed you have become in a very few years, even in 
a year? Why, then, in another- should we not make an- 
other stride on the thorny road of perfection? It is worth 
the attempt. 

"You ask for some practical way oi showing your devo- 
tion to the Sacred Heart. Is not the essence of a true devo- 
tion imitation of the object? If, then, we are really devout 

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to the Sacred Heart, the effect should be in the words of 
the ejaculation to make our hearts like His Heart. It is, 
then, a most practical devotion ; it is the making our hearts 
like His. Are they much alike at present ? I fear we can 
find only too many points of dissimilarity; His Heart all 
love and charity and unselfishness; ours hard, cold and 
selfish. So every thought and word and act which will help 
increase the likeness will be an act of devotion; if we have 
the actual intention of its being so-, so much the better. At 
least we must have the virtual intention made in the morn- 
ing when we oft'er up all that passes during the day. Rep- 
aration, of course, enters into the devotion, but it is the 
reparation which relates tO' ourselves. It is absurd to make 
reparation for others until we root out the bitterness in our 
own hearts. It will help to sweeten our endeavors to re- 
member that we are practising the most wholesome and 
acceptable devotion to the Sacred Heart of our loving Lord. 
It will nerve us to know that by doing it we are proving our 
devotion to the Sacred Heart. How much He endured for 
love of us ! Shall not we bravely and lovingly make a 
worthy return ? And does not this tally well with the prac- 
tice of making acts of ejaculations? If we have the words 
expressing our desire to become like Our Lord always on 
our lips, and mean what we say, must we not by the very 
fact become like Him? Will not the desire of our hearts 
at length become realized ? Do not expect too much at first ; 
be content with a few, but let those few be earnest and make 
up in intensity for their fewness. I do not mean to remain 
content with few, but add on by degrees and take an account 
of the reason you are unable to increase the number or even 
to reach the ordinary quota. But take heart and keep up 
your courage. 

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LIFE OF HEN-RY VAN RENSSELAER 

"We have a good Master. What comfort there is in the 
thought ! When, after repeated failure, we are in a desper- 
ate state and tempted to give up in despair, then we should 
recall His tender love. His fatherly care and His untiring 
patience. They are really crucial moments for us. They 
test our motives. Are they unmixed with self-love or not? 
If self is there, then we feel hurt and sore and indisposed 
to make any further effort. If the intention is pure we 
may be sad, and justly too, because of our weakness and 
cowardice, but at the same time the thought of the loving 
help of God will make us ready and willing to take up our 
arms for another tussle with the enemy. Tussles they are, 
usually, and not a well-ordered campaign on the open field, 
the enemy in full view and his strength known and meas- 
ured. Our enemy is always lurking around corners, ready 
to pounce upon us unawares and unprepared. Let us always 
be ready for him no matter when or how he attacks us. He 
is ever near us, within us. Our worst enemy is the irritable 
temper, the proud spirit, the hasty, ill-natured tongue. Our 
neighbors seem to be the cause of our irritation, but were 
we mild and meek and amiable, would they be? At all 
events not in the same degree as they now are with our 
domestic enemies unsubdued. 

"But you will be tired of my long-winded talk. I cannot 
honestly send you this without confessing that I myself am 
the most guilty of all. I had a little trial of patience, being 
kept in my room for two weeks after I came back from St. 
Inigoes with an abrasion of the skin, got by falling over a 
bench in the dark. Now, thank God, it is perfectly healed. 

'T am so glad you liked Father Devitt. I thought you 
would, when I heard he was to give the retreat. Father 
Prendergast will be a help to you; perhaps you might have 
him to take Father Jerge's place, as the latter goes to Fred- 

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Woodstock college 

erick for tertianship. You must remember me especially 
during my retreat; it begins on the 23d. Father Welch of 
Boston, a convert, gives it. I expect it to be very helpful. 
''I am your devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer^ S.J." 

''Woodstock, ' 

"1882. 

"I had a delightful letter from Father Prendergast, w^rit- 
ten after he had finished the long retreat of the third year's 
probation. It was as good to me as a retreat; it filled me 
with love for the Spiritual Exercises of our Holy Father, 
St. Ignatius, or rather it stirred up the spirit of love and 
devotion I already bore them. They are our own special 
weapons for our greatest means of advancing the glory of 
God. I trust some day to be able to wield them powerfully. 

'T am. becoming quite an enthusiastic philosopher. Just 
now we are studying interesting matter, the soul; it en- 
hances one's ideas of the dignity of man. I am studying as 
hard as my capacity allows ; more would be worse than use- 
less. I try not to worry too much over the examinations, 
and in spite of them am as happy as possible. All these 
things are of secondary importance after all, and if we keep 
before our minds the primary end, our perfection, they will 
not hinder, but even advance it. Every day the ideal before 
me seems to grow more tangible and real, and if we only 
corresponded more generously to abundant grace, the day 
might come when we should be worthy imitators of our 
saintly Fathers. Courage and confidence! Let us throw 
ourselves into that loving Heart where we shall find such 
power and zeal and burning charity, and come forth changed 
into new creatures. As of old, it will be said : 'Thou also 

203 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

wert with Jesus oi Galilee, for thy speech betrayeth thee.' 

''How much we may do or leave undone for Our Lord ! 
It is the tiniest of insects that forms the great coral reefs 
and islands ; so we, by adding act to act, tiny as they may 
be, shall raise a tower upon which we shall mount to 
Heaven. We cannot imagine Our Lord to have been any- 
thing but affable, gentle and sympathetic even in trifling 
things. We ought tO' try to be the same, and we shall please 
him more and afford greater edification than by any amount 
of penance and mortification." 

Here are some of his thoughts during the month of 
November : — 

''I have been very much impressed this month, when med- 
itating on the Holy Souls in Purgatory, with the mercy of 
God in giving this means of purification to those who have 
not, in their lives, availed themselves of their opportunities. 
We know that many die in a state only not bad enough for 
hell. Their love of God has been tepid, yet His overwhelm- 
ing mercy finds a means to give them the joys of heaven, 
little as they would seemi to deserve it. What would such a 
soul tell us if it could come back to earth? How it would 
exhort us to make use of every means of grace to the ut- 
most, and to let no chance slip by unimproved to learn to 
love Him, who is to be hereafter our joy and our crown! 
We can help the Holy Souls and at the same time grow in 
the love of God by repeating frequently an indulgenced as- 
piration : 'J^sus, meek and humble of heart' ; 'Sweet Heart 
of Mary, be my salvation.' We shall thus keep the thought 
of Jesus and Mary ever before our minds until they become 
the constant companions of ourlives. Our lives should bear 
the character of reparation, for we are brands snatched from 

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the burning. We might have been unbearable for pride, 
yet Almighty God saw the desires of our hearts and opened 
them to the light of Truth ; more still, has chosen us to be 
His own particular companions, and yet more, apostles, to 
bring others to His feet. Let us keep this before our eyes, 
that the salvation of many depends upon our sanctification ; 
that if we become saints, the glory of God will be advanced 
far beyond any conception that we can form. 

''What peace and contentment it brings to have made the 
sacrifice of all things ! I feel a growing love for poverty 
and never am happier than when I part with some of the 
few treasures I still have. To-day, for example, I have 
sent Francis my missal. I should like him to use it at his 
first Mass. We used to study it together in old times. 

"What a blessed thing it would be to have such faith as 
to see God in everybody and in everything! How different, 
then, would be our lives, superiors and equals all invested 
with a halo of divinity because we see God in them as in a 
tabernacle ! Then would our dealings with all become easy, 
for in them we should be obeying and serving Him whose 
least command is law, whose least service an honor. This 
was the practice of the saints; this transforms earth into a 
Heaven where God goes in and out among us, and where 
we can constantly be advancing His glory. How much 
good we can find in everything if we -only look for it, and 
instead of dwelling upon people's defects, d\vd\ upon their 
good points and become ourselves amiable and lovable in 
proportion, and secure the Easter greeting of Christ : 'Peace 
be with you.' " 

As Christmas approached, his thoughts took on the char- 
acter of the festival, and a few days before its advent he 
wrote : — 

205 V 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"My Christmas greeting must be: 'That He may come 
and find prepared for Him a mansion worthy of Him.' The 
words of that prayer before Holy Communion have always 
had a peculiar fascination for me ; in fact, I have an especial 
devotion to the season of Advent; there is something so 
touching, so pathetic in the words used by the Church in 
her antiphons and hymns; something of that longing after 
Him Who is to come, that it makes one homesick for the 
true home which awaits us when He shall come the second 
time tO' take us to Himself to be with Him forever. We 
might call our whole life an Advent-tide, for it should be 
one of expectation and preparation. We must live for the 
future, though in the present, and fulfil every little duty 
with a faith which pierces the clouds and sees them in the 
light of eternity." 

The two following letters show that he was mindful of 
his sister on her patronal feast, that of the Seven Dolors of 
the Blessed Virgin. 

"March 30, 1882. 
"My Dear Sister Dolores: 

"P. C 

"I might not have time to write you on your feast day, 
so I will write now, that you may receive my letter perhaps 
to-morrow. You are blessed in having two fetes a year; 
most people are satisfied with one. . . . 

"I think we are rather inclined not to appreciate enough 
what it is to have had such a mother and father as ours. 
. . . We must work hard for mother now ; what a pity 
that she should not have the comforts and consolations of 
the Church. But Our Lord has his own times of grace; 
perhaps her hour has not yet come ; we must, as of yore, try 
to get His Mother to use her influence to hasten it, 

.206 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

"We had our sermon here, too, preached by death. Our 
Father Minister, one morning last week did not go to the 
sacristy at Mass time; they went to call him and found him 
stretched on the floor quite dead. It was a great shock to 
us ; the first we knew of it was to hear the passing-bell ring 
towards the end of our hour of meditation. We knew of no 
one for whom to say the *De Profundis,' as only one of the 
scholastics was sick, and he not dangerously. The mourn- 
ing was general when we were told that it was the Father 
Minister; he was universally beloved and respected as a 
saint, although he had been among us at Woodstock only 
seven months. He was certainly well prepared by nearly 
thirty years of religous life of self-sacrifice. For seventeen 
years he was prefect of discipline in boarding colleges, and 
you may imagine what a life that is. Strange to say we 
found that the points of his meditation had been : *The hap- 
piness a good religious would feel at the hour of his death, 
when he could look back upon a life of mortification and 
sacrifice.' Was it not a good proximate preparation for 
death? The cause was paralysis of the heart. He looked 
so natural and lifelike for two days that many declared that 
he was in a trance. Fortunately for our peace of mind, the 
unmistakable signs appeared on the third day, and there was 
no longer room for doubt. He is an immense loss to us. I 
was very fond of him and saw a good deal of him. It 
preaches a striking lesson to us to be ready. It seems often 
to be the lot of religious to die suddenly; certainly, with all 
our religious exercises, we ought to be prepared. 

"It was a relief to hear from you after such a long silence. 
I imagined, however, that there was no real reason for your 
silence except want of time and energy, at least for writing. 
It does require a certain effort to put oneself down to write. 

207 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"Lent has passed very quickly and, as you may suppose, 
I have not been allowed to fast. However, one can gain 
much merit not only by the obedience under which one acts, 
but also by giving up little things at meals, nothing essen- 
tial, but little extras, nor that regularly, but varying, first 
one and then another. In that way we can practise a good 
deal of mortification on a small scale without injuring our 
health or violating the intention of our Superiors in bidding 
us eat. 

"I can scarcely realize that a whole year has passed since 
last Holy Week. When one is busy, time flies. If only our 
advance in perfection could keep pace with it ; however, we 
must be content tO' go along slowly, provided it be surely, 
not losing any ground that we have gained, but steadily 
keeping in view the end for which we left the world, our 
own perfection and the good of others. But the first must 
always have the chief place in our endeavors, and we may 
be sure that the second will not suffer in consequence. 

"I find the use of ejaculatory prayers very helpful, such 
as *Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like 
unto Thine,' and 'Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.' 
They are both indulgenced for three hundred days, so by 
repeating them we can help the Holy Souls, and at the samje 
time form habits in our soul, acquire humility and gentle- 
ness, and thus avoid pride and harshness, besides keeping 
the thought of Jesus and Mary ever before our minds, until 
they become the constant companions of our lives, and as- 
sociated with all our thoughts and works and words. Be- 
gin by making a determination to say a certain number, not 
too many at first, before the midday, and again before the 
night examen ; then week after week try to advance the 
number, and you will be surnrised to find that your life 

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seems to be made up of ejaculations. This is by no means 
beyond our reach, if we are faithful and zealous. Is not 
this the life of recollection we want, and that which active 
saints led ? Nor will your work suffer in any way ; on the 
contrary, it will help to concentrate and spiritualize every- 
tliing you do, for is it not because we do not keep in mind 
the motive of our actions that they are done in a purely me- 
chanical way ? As to one's success in meditation, remember, 
the criterion of a good meditation is not sensible consolation 
and satisfaction, but the making of a resolution which will 
tell upon our conduct during the day. We should accom- 
plish much if we only could grasp the idea of prayer, what 
it really is, the communion of two, the outpouring of our 
desires and longings, the confession of our shortcomings 
and forebodings into the ears of One whose delight is to be 
with the children of men, frail and foolish as they are. Let 
us beseech Our Lord more earnestly to teach us to pray 
simply, heartily, and with unbounded confidence. 

"As to devotion to our Lady, do not worry yourself on 
that score; it is a thing which must be spontaneous and 
cannot be forced. I am sure that you are a devout client, 
and although you may consider things said and done are 
sometimes not in good taste, yet in no way do you derogate 
from her honor. If we think of her always as the one whom 
Our Lord loved the most dearly of creatures, we shall by 
degrees, as we become more Christlike, find that we shall 
according to our measure love her as He did. I find my 
devotion and confidence ever on the increase, and if you 
take up the method of ejaculations which I spoke of, you 
will find that the 'Sweet Heart of Mary' will prove a reality 
to you. "Your 'devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer, S.J." 
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LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"Woodstock, 

"Feast of Seven Dolors, 

"1883. 
"My Dear Sister Dolores: 

"P. C 
"I do not know which of the two feasts of the Dolors of 
Our Lady is your favorite. This one, it seems to me, should 
be. In consequence of its being so near the Passiontide of 
her Divine Son, we can realize better what her sufferings 
were in the chief of her dolors, as she stood at the foot of 
the cross. That, too, must be our station, if we would be 
true followers of the Crucified. Not like the faithless, or 
rather weak in faith. Apostle, standing afar off, viewing 
the cross and the suffering, but without faith and confidence 
enough to draw near and claim a share; but like our Blessed 
Lady and her generous companions, not ashamed to face 
the shame nor too weak to bear the pain. That little band 
is a cause of reproach to manhood and of glory to woman- 
hood, for there were four to one — the weaker sex showing 
itself stronger than the strong. Is it not hard with our 
proud natures to try to practise what we admit readily 
enough in theory? Crucified to the world we should be, 
dead to self-love and self -pleasing. This is only our plain 
duty, as it seems so clearly to us in meditation and prayer ; 
we take our resolution to act upon it, we rise from our knees 
feeling quite heroic, go to the chapel perhaps for Mass ; one 
of our neighbors has some habit very disagreeable to us, 
away goes our heroism, irritation sets in and has full sway ; 
we forget what is going on, we are inattentive to the action 
of the sacrifice, we are unstrung and nervous. We excuse 
ourselves, saying : 'Plow can one help being put out under 
the circumstances? It is all l^ecause of my nerves. I was 

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not myself. It is a defect of my nature for which I cannot 
be held accountable — my misfortune not my fault.' So in- 
genious self-love rattles on, providing out of its treasures 
reason after reason, some of them specious enough to de- 
ceive the very elect if not on their guard. And where is the 
root of the evil? It lies within us; the external incident, 
whatever be its nature, did but serve as a match to set fire 
to a lot of combustible material that we imprudently keep 
within us. What shall quench this fire? What will render 
this dangerous fuel beyond danger of a spark? Only a con- 
tinual supply of *that water that springeth up unto ever- 
lasting life.' That water flows from the riven side of Our 
Lord, and near the sacred fount must we be continually; 
nor is there anything to^ hinder it. No great exertion is 
required on our part, only a living in the presence of God, 
only a constant union with Him; corporally, when it is 
allowed us in Holy Communion; spiritually, when not our 
privilege. If we had that thirst after justice we should have, 
we would of our own accord turn to the Fountain of Jus- 
tice. 'As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so longeth 
my soul after Thee, O God.' Such would be our desire, such 
indeed it is, I am sure, my dearest sister, but we must not 
rest in desires, but use the means of putting them into 
action. 

''Struggle on with your aspirations, they may not come 
spontaneously now, come they will in time. Do not be dis- 
couraged and do not be satisfied with what you do. We 
must ever cry, 'More, O Lord, more grace' : and with the 
grace let there be hereafter a greater faithfulness. St. 
Peter of Alcantara says : 'Let us aim at the highest, and by 
the grace of God, we shall be able to accomplish something 
for His greater glory, who has been so bountiful in His 

?11 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

best and perfect gifts to us.' Those gifts have been given 
with a purpose; we shall frustrate it, unless we make our- 
selves fit instruments in the hands of the Heavenly Work- 
man. Unfit we shall be, unless we extract all those roots 
of bitterness that lie deep down in our hearts, poisoning all 
the sweet water of our lives. That overweening love of 
self which makes itself a very tyrant, the end and measure 
of all that we do or is done to us. Drag it up by the roots 
we must, for it is useless to lop off the upper growth. It 
has sent out feelers and ofTshoots in all directions and twined 
itself by them closely around our hearts, and strengthened 
itself in all those years we have allowed it to live and flour- 
ish. It can be rooted up — it must be, and when ? Why let 
it live a day longer ? Let us begin at once, and a long pull 
and a strong pull and a pull that will be repeated day after 
day until it yields. We can do it and we will. I feel what 
I say, otherwise I would never have the assurance to write 
it. I am trying to practise what I preach or I could never 
have the face tO' preach it. I know only too well by experi- 
ence all that special pleading of which I have spoken. Na- 
ture is responsible in a measure for our character, but we, 
too, are responsible for the way in which we have yielded 
to our weaknesses instead of fighting against them; we have 
enervated ourselves and then we blame our nerves as if 
they were the sole cause of our troubles. No, it is our soft 
self-indulgence. If we have violent tempers and strong pas- 
sions it is because persons with such temperaments can by 
their very disposition do greater things and endure more 
than those who are more softly and gently disposed. We 
may use these passions as instruments of advancement, but 
not until we have them fully under our control. We shall get 
them under the curb only by constant watchfulness and 

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WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

self-restraint, stopping an ebullition ere it has gone too far. 
Doing this, we shall eventually get the mastery. Let us 
make up our minds not to excuse ourselves, but courage- 
ously admit our past faithlessness and resolve to make up by 
generous wakefulness, ever on the alert to foresee a coming 
storm and to be ready for it. This is a rather incoherent 
sort of a letter, but you will take it for what it is worth. 
. . . Thank the kind Sisters for the Agnus Dei, and 
recommend me warmly to them. 

"Ever your devoted brother, 

''Henry Van Rensselaer^ S.J." 

What his thoughts were during Holy Week may be seen 
in a letter he wrote to his sister a week later. 

"Woodstock, 

"Maundy-Thursday, 
"March 22, 1883. 
"For my greetings to reach you on Easter Day, I must 
write now. To-day we commemorate that greatest of bless- 
ings bestowed by Our Lord, the institution of the Blessed 
Sacrament of His Holy Body and Blood, to be the soul's 
food in this journey through the wilderness, when nothing 
but the Heavenly Manna can be found to sustain and 
strengthen it. It is a day of days indeed, telling of the 
height of treason and of fidelity, of the depths of human 
depravity and of Divine mercy and forgiveness ; how Judas 
betrayed and sold, how Christ forgave and would have 
saved. Did human nature ever look meaner than in the 
person of the traitor or nobler than in the Betrayed? The 
whole history of the Passion is full of antitheses, — the Apos- 

213 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

ties dreaming of an earthly kingdom and its pomp and 
show, undesirous of shame and ignominy, as yet far from 
being spiritual-minded; their Master, the King of Kings, 
whose. kingdom was not of this world, who thirsted for 
affronts and obloquy, and whose mind was set on things 
above, not on the things of the earth. Can anything be 
more pathetic than the contrast between the Master and the 
Disciples? He looked for some one to comfort Him, to 
sympathize with Him. He looked in vain; they could 
neither appreciate nor enter into His sentiments. Yet they 
had been under His training and influence for three years. 
What reason had He ever given them for such expectations 
as they counted upon ? None ; He had fled at the time when 
the people, full of enthusiasm on account of the miracle of 
the feeding of the multitude, would have taken Him and 
made Him king. He had a throne which He would one 
day ascend amidst the shouts of the by-standers ; that throne 
was the cross, the acclamations, jeers of derision and scorn. 
It is easy for us to wonder at the stupidity and blindness 
of the Jews, for the defects of others are always apparent 
enough ; our own escape our attention, so much are we en- 
grossed with others. I often ask myself on which side I 
should have been had I been present on Calvary. It is hard 
to be on the losing side, and did ever a side look more hope- 
less than that of the Crucified? Hear the testimony of the 
very Disciples : 'We hoped/ they said, 'that it was He that 
should have redeemed Israel.' They hoped until the death 
on the cross put an end to hope. What strength of faith 
was requisite to see in that Man of Sorrows the Messiah, 
the Son of David of the royal race! What faith, to rise 
superior to the opinion of the rulers of society! It de- 
manded a higher faith than the chosen band had, at least 

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practically. They lacked, indeed, not the virtue of faith, 
but the will to exert the act. 

"Can we not well understand the case? Does not our 
everyday life give some faint image of like conduct? 
Scarcely a day passes but human respect nips some virtuous 
action in the bud ; I speak feelingly, for it is my own history. 
We call this truckling by euphonious names when we try to 
apologize for it to ourselves. It sometimes wears the garb 
of humility. We, in our lowliness, do not wish to attract 
attention, we wish to be like the rest. At other times we 
like to think the chance inopportune. No doubt St. Peter 
thought the question of the maid-servant so. That wasted 
opportunity brought on another and another, and the three 
combined gave him cause for life-long penance and sorrow. 
But, dearest sister, you need rather encouragement than 
anything else, for I remember well, even in Protestant days, 
how you braved the ridicule of the family and eyed your 
plate for dear life. It was modesty, as you understood it 
then, severe, repelling, but well meaning. What you could 
do in those days in such matters with less spiritual help, you 
can now do w^ith more ease and edification. Perhaps you 
tell me that prayer seemed easier then than now ; it may be 
so, but that proves nothing at all. God's criterion is not the 
ease with which we work, but rather the difficulties we sur- 
mount, such as a half hour spent in battling against tempta- 
tions to impatience on account of the heat or ventilation, or 
the seeming barrenness or want of interest of the points 
given, or the manner in w^hich they are given — all small 
things, surely, in themselves, but gigantic when they play 
upon the imagination. We begin to wonder at the stupidity 
and indiscrimination of those in power. We could give 
them a valuable hint or two, self-love whispers, forgetting 

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LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

that we have come into religion not to have our own way 
but to submit to crosses and contradictions for the love of 
God. Sursum Cor da! 

''Let this Easter-tide be a resurrection for us. We have 
been bound down by earthly things long enough. We have 
been looking too much through colored glasses, the color- 
ing matter self-love. We will break them and see things in 
the pure white light of truth. We must make some gen- 
erous resolutions, and what is more, we should begin with- 
out delay to put them into execution, expecting indeed not 
great victories at first, but cheerfully bearing up under occa- 
sional defeats. 

'1 am almost tempted to put all this into the fire, it sounds 
so trite and commonplace. Our Provincial, Father Fulton, 
is making his visitation. I had a very satisfactory talk with 
him, although I have but little chance of going on to the- 
ology without some teaching, there is such a demand for 
professors in the colleges, and so many scholastics who have 
finished their five years' term. Justice demands that they 
should have first chance for theology. It will be a new 
experience for me, and were it not for delaying ordination 
I have really a wish for it. However, whatever the decision, 
I am perfectly content. I shall expect the worst. . . . 
"Your devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer." 

The Woodstock community of which Van Rensselaer 
was a member until the summer of 1883, was not only very 
large, but cosmopolitan as well; in it were Belgians and 
Germans, Italians and Frenchmen, Spaniards and Cana- 
dians, with sons of the Emerald Isle and Englishmen, 
though of course the German and Irish-American element 

216 



WOODSTOCK COLLEGE 

predominated. With all these Van Rensselaer was a gen- 
eral favorite. He was a model of strict observance, never 
obtruding himself or his personal history or his opinions 
on others, and, strange to say, a close friend of men of the 
most antagonistic qualities. Affable towards all, he showed, 
perhaps, a preference for associating with men of other 
provinces or nationalities, and exercised without effort and 
without pretense a remarkable influence among his com- 
panions, many of whom were younger than himself, and on 
that account lacking in experience. 

For philosophical studies and the abstruse generally, he 
had no special aptitude, though his common-sense way of 
viewing knotty problems caused him to be sought after by 
those less favored with natural gifts. He was always ready 
to lend a helping hand. He was a rapid penman and could 
take down, almost verbatim, the lectures of the professors. 
In consequence his notes were in great demand by his class- 
mates, but no matter how often he was appealed to or how 
ill-timed the appeal, he was ever ready and obliging. 



217 



CHAPTER XIII. 
The Class-Room. 

THE three years devoted to the study of philosophy were 
now drawing to a close, and in the summer of 1883 
Van Rensselaer was to take the next step in the training of 
a young Jesuit, and assume the responsibilities of a teacher 
in the class-room. His first assignment was tO' St. John's 
College, Fordham, where he remained from September, 
1883, until the following June. His interest in young men 
began to manifest itself at once. To him, was assigned the 
charge of the Students' Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, a 
task than which no other more tO' his liking could have been 
selected. 

It has frequently been observed that men who have in- 
fluence over students of maturer years are often unable to 
manage the callow youths just entering upon their teens. 
The boy was a riddle which Van Rensselaer, not only when 
he was in charge as a professor, but all through the years 
of his ministry, could never solve. Not that he was not a 
favorite with the lads with whom he had to deal, but he 
was too kind-hearted and too good-natured to exercise the 
necessary control. 

It was quite otherwise with the more advanced students 
who formed the College Sodality. The place of meeting 
was the Community Chapel, which he made attractive by 
the addition of bright frescoes, a handsome new altar, and 
elaborate chapel furniture. He would aid their devotion, 
but he would also provide for their comfort. In the sanc- 

218 



THE CLASS-ROOM 

tuary was placed a quaint little bell of exquisite workman- 
ship. He had found it somewhere in Germany and it bore 
the following inscription : — 

"Die Kaiserglocke heiss' ich ; 
Des Kaisers Ehren preis' ich; 
Auf heilger Warte steh' ich, 
Dem deutschen Reich erfleh' ich 
Dass Fried' und Wehr 
Ihm Gott bescheer." 

Which may be rendered : — 

"The Kaiser's bell am I; 
And Kaiser praise on high ; 
From belfry 'gainst the sky, 
For German land I cry: 
O God, her peace defend. 
O God, her might extend." 

Once a week during the school year there was a meeting, 
and every fortnight an instruction, in the preparation of 
which Van Rensselaer put forth his best efforts and gave 
early proof of his deep interest in young men. It is not too 
much to say that the zealous activity of these college days 
was but the apprenticeship for his more extended, though 
not more valuable, work in the ministry. Among his papers 
is a blank-book of over a hundred pages containing a series 
of "Sermonettes" delivered at these regular meetings of 
the Sodality. They are neatly written and give evidence 
of exceptional care in their preparation. The character 
of these instructions may be learned from a glance at the 
index : — 

219 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

1st. On the dignity of a Socialist. 

3nd. Aim of the Sodality. 

3rd. Self Sanctification. 

4th. Self Examination. 

5th. Advantages of Frequent Communion. 

6th. On Purity. (Feast of the Purity B. V. M.) 

?'th. On the Presence of God. 

8th. Idea of a Saint. (All Saints.) 

9th. Souls in Purgatory. 

10th. Vocation. 

11th. On Duty of Thanksgiving. (Thanksgiving Day 

Tide.) 

13th. Preparation for the Coming of Christ. (First 

Sunday in Advent.) 

13th. Spirit of Joy. 

14th. The Constituents of a Happy New Year. (Jan. 6.) 

15th. Duty and Inclination. 

16th. The Use of a Sodality Badge. 

17th. Purification of B. V. M. 

18th. Character. 

19th. Formation of Character. 

20th. Jesus Christ, Our Ideal. 

21st. Devotion. 

22nd. Christian Enthusiasm,. F. Ozanam. 

23rd. Humility. 

His second and last year as a teacher was spent at Loyola 
College, Baltimore. No doubt it was a sacrifice to be taken 
away from Fordham and from the young men in whom, 
with the fervor of his new work upon him, he had taken 
so lively an interest. There may have been some feeling of 
disappointment at that, or of discouragement that he should 

220 



THE CLASS-ROOM 

be sent from New York, where his family and friends were 
within easy reach, and that he should be called upon to re- 
sume the uncongenial work of teaching. If there was any 
such feeling he gave no indication of it whatever, but strug- 
gled heroically through the ordeal. 

Van Rensselaer had the true idea of the duty of the 
Jesuit professor towards the boys or young men under his 
charge. The interest in them begun in the class-room is not 
to end there, but to follow the young man after he leaves 
college, and to become one of his most valuable assets dur- 
ing his whole life. In Baltimore, as at Fordham, he won 
the hearts of his pupils and became their life-long friend. 

It was in Baltimore that his literary activities may be said 
to have begun. As shown by his autobiographical sketch, 
he had not only a facile pen, but a keen literary instinct. 
His style is distinctive and even characteristic. His memoirs 
exhibit a vigorous, graphic way of putting things, a hatred 
for hypocrisy and cant, a bitterness, at times, toward those 
who differed with him, and an expression of his feelings 
which might be termed playfully sarcastic. His first ven- 
ture in print was the composition of an historical drama, in 
collaboration with a confrere of the professorial staff. The 
full title ran, "King Alfred, an Historical Drama in Five 
Acts." It was printed for the occasion, and appeared again 
in a second edition in 1893. The choice of King Alfred was 
a happy one, as it proved an excellent subject for the college 
stage, enabling the young actors to venture upon something 
more serious and profitable than the farce or ''adapted" 
comedy, which generally forms part of the public entertain- 
ments in schools. It was produced in the fall of 1884, and 
met with great success, notwithstanding the fact that in the 
battle scene, duly represented on the college stage, all the 

^31 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

participants managed to be slain in the sanguinary en- 
counter. The book received from the London Month a very 
flattering notice, which we reproduce here: — 

"The historical drama of King Alfred, which has just 
been produced by two American writers, is an excellent ver- 
sion of the well-known story. It takes some liberties with 
the actual sequence of events, but here the authors have the 
precedent of other historical plays to justify them. They 
have introduced the legendary incidents of the King's hid- 
ing in the swineherd's hut, the burning of the cakes, the 
visit in disguise to the Danish camp, and the rest. The play 
is full of incident, the comic element has not been forgotten, 
and there are songs for which music has been provided, to 
give scope for the vocal powers of the performer. With the 
exception of some humorous passages, the play is in blank 
verse, and it contains not a few really beautiful lines." 

As the Christmas season drew nigh, his pen was ready 
with another drama which, as befitting the occasion, was 
more religious and devotional. It was the legend of good 
King Wenceslaus, and was acted by the students on Christ- 
mas Eve, as an academic exercise before their departure for 
the holidays. The theme was the charity of the King to the 
poor ; the time, the eve of Christmas, and the moral obvious 
even to the untutored. 

As Van Rensselaer was still a scholastic, and free from 
the work of the ministry, he employed his leisure in these 
and similar literary pursuits, helping, at least indirectly, the 
whole student body, and fostering a college spirit among 
them. 

He wrote still another drama, "Felician," portraying the 
life of the early Christians, ^vhich reads like a dram.atized 

222 



THE CLASS-ROOM 

chapter or two of Wiseman's ''Fabiola." Then came a lec- 
ture in February, still in MS., on Early Phases of Christian 
Art, which form.ed one of a series delivered by members of 
the College Faculty. Another interesting fragment from a 
never finished drama of ''Clerical Life," furnishes an addi- 
tional proof that his pen was not idle. 

About this time his interest in missionary work was re- 
newed, and he wrote several valuable papers on the Indian 
question, including a "Sketch of the Catholic Church in 
Montana," "The Apostle of Alaska, Archbishop Seghers," 
both of which appeared in the American Catholic Quarterly 
Review^ and a "Plea for the Indians," in the Catholic World 
for March, 1886. To appreciate the motive of his writing 
on these subjects it may be well to state that, while teaching 
at Loyola, he had made up his mind to offer himself for the 
Indian Missions. The reasons which induced him to take 
this step were manifold. He was aware that he was not a 
success in the class-room, and in the missionary field there 
was plenty of ether work in which he might prove more 
successful. A thought which particularly appealed to him 
was, that the Indians had a claim upon the descendants of 
those who held their lands, and at that time .his family was 
still in possession of such lands. Then, too, Americans, he 
fancied, could, in the far West, labor more effectively than 
foreigners ; they might understand better the character of 
the settlers with whom the Indians come in contact, and 
they could better represent to the Government officials, both 
high and low, the grievances of the aborigines and defend 
them by voice and pen against the encroachments or the in- 
justices of the whites ; and why, he added, should Ameri- 
cans sit still and deplore the great lack of missionaries, and 
yet not volunteer to make good the deficiency? In the 

22o 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Maryland-New York province there seemed to be no dearth 
of laborers, but it was not an easy matter to find recruits for 
the Rocky Mountains. 

The spiritual aspect of this self-immolation commended 
itself above aught else, for he was convinced that this 
greater sacrifice on his part would be fruitful even for those 
of his family who were still Protestants, and, after all, was 
he not but following up the first inclination he had as a 
Catholic, to be a missionary in Africa? These reasons, and 
the dislike he had for a life of comparative ease, urged him 
to make the sacrifice. Accordingly, he laid the matter be- 
fore his superiors and with their approval wrote tO' the Gen- 
eral at Rome asking to be transferred to the Mission of the 
Rocky Mountains. It speaks well for his missionary zeal, 
for his spirit of detachment from places and persons, that 
he was not only willing to offer, but actually offered himself 
for this arduous missionary work, and had no feeling but 
one of joy at the prospect. 

It is interesting to knoAV that his petition was granted, 
and the transfer was made. His name was dropped from 
the Province roll and duly entered among the members of 
the Rocky Mountain Mission. On the Feast of the Immac- 
ulate Conception, 1884, at the foot of Our Lady's Altar, he 
made the following vow : — 

Loyola College, Baltimore, Md. 

Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1884. 

I, Henry Van Rensselaer, Scholastic of the So- 
ciety of Jesus, do, on this day, the Patronal Feast 
of the Qiurch in the United States, solemnly offer 
and devote myself forever to the Apostolate of the 
224 



THE CLASS-ROOM 

Indian Mission in the Rocky Mountains, so help me 
God, Our Lady, Our Holy Father Ignatius and St. 
Francis Xavier, Apostle of the Indies. 
Amen. 

Henry Van Rensselaer, S.J. 
L. D. S. 

It is easy for us to look back and admire God's way of 
dealing with this noble soul. Had this change been effected 
the Far West would have gained another missionary, but 
New York would have lost an apostle. The "divinity that 
shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will,'' was pre- 
paring his soul for the work of converting the sinner by 
re-casting his character in the heroic mould of self-sacrifice. 
He might never reach the object of his desires, but the am- 
bition to be worthy of it and to fit himself for it, was the 
secret alembic that transformed him into an apostle. The 
great St. Francis Xavier yearned for the conversion of 
China, and died before he touched the shores. Yet he is 
the Apostle of China, in intent and purpose, and to his 
brilliant coronal of triumphs he has added new lustre 
through his longing to add to the Kingdom of Christ the 
vast multitudes of the Celestial Empire. 

Henry Van Rensselaer's hopes of laboring among the 
Indians, for whose salvation he had solemnly pledged his 
life, were never realized, but who will be bold enough to 
say that the glory of his apostolic life among the sick and 
the poor is not enhanced before God by the act of generosity 
Avhich prompted him to ofTer the best that was in him for 
the salvation of the ill-treated and neglected red-man? 

We have at our disposal only one letter coming from 
Baltimore. It was written to Sister Dolores and is a beau- 

225 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

tiful expression of the thoughts which refreshed his spirit. 
In it we get a ghmpse of a very tender devotion to the 
Blessed Virgin. 

"LoYOiLA College^ 

"Baltimore, 1885. 

"A happy coincidence of Our Lady's feast with one of 
the most glorious of the year, and appropriate, too, for how 
was she the Help of Christians except by being the Spouse 
of the Holy Ghost? The devotion to the Holy Ghost has 
always been one of my favorites ; it does not necessarily re- 
quire practices that would occupy much time, an occasional 
'Gloria' during the day in thanksgiving for all his benefits. 
We do not thank God enough ; the Psalmist says : 'His 
praise shall be ever in my mouth.' Nothing so gracious as 
thanksgiving. The Holy Ghost is the author and inspirer 
of grace. On His motion dO' we depend for every merito- 
rious thought, word and action. To' Him^ we owe all the 
Sacraments and all His seven-fold gifts. Are not these 
motives for special devotion? We shall never know until 
we see her face to face what Our Lady has been to us. Just 
as one never realizes how much one's own mother is to one 
until separation proves how quietly, unobtrusively, lovingly, 
she has been rendering us continual services. In Mary's 
case we shall never find out by separation, but in the light 
of the Beatific Vision all will be made plain to us. I attrib- 
ute my vocation tO' her, remembering what an impression 
the title, 'Queen of the Society of Jesus' made upon me 
when I first heard it at West Park. 

"It drew me to desire to be her special subject in this, her 
kingdom. I came across a saying in a book relating to the 
Christian life : 'Si on est moins qu'un heros, on devient 

220 



THE CLASS-ROOM 

moins qu'un homme'; it seemed to me that we might put 
it in this way: *Si on est moins qu'un saint, on devient 
moins qu'un religieux.' To avoid this we must set to work 
in earnest to become saints. Let us run a race — I challenge 
you. This year of college life has been given me by Our 
Lord for a time of reparation." 



227 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Ordained a Priest. 

TN the fall of 1885, Van Rensselaer began his theological 
* studies at Woodstock preparatory to ordination. The 
fact that he had now the Rocky Mountains Missions to look 
forward to filled him with enthusiasm, and his pen was ac- 
tive in behalf of the Indians. Soon after his arrival he 
wrote to his sister: 

''Woodstock College, 

"September 19, 1885. 
'T am glad to be once more settled and at work. I have 
got the one thing I needed to add to my means of perfecting 
myself, and that is the missionary vocation. I am now as 
light-hearted and merry as a boy. There are several as- 
pirants to the mission here, and Alaska is tO' some the land 
of promise, desired because of its privations — the spirit of 
St. Ignatius still breathing in his children. Do you see the 
'fervorinos' on the Indians and Alaska in the Catholic Re- 
viezv'f Perhaps you recognize the hand?'' 



The following letters, addressed likewise to Sister 
Dolores, display not only an intense desire to advance stead- 
ily in the pathway of sanctification, but an anxiety to have 
her also profit by the experiences in the spiritual life which 
he was daily undergoing. Apart from the help tliey furnish 
towards a better understanding of the process by which his 
character was moulded, the}' may be found useful for those 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

in the cloister or outside of it who would be guided by 
supernatural principles in the ordinary affairs of life. 

"Woodstock^ 

*Teast of Immac. Cone, 1885. 
"My Dear Sister Dolores: 

'T. C 
''It seems to me a very long time since I wrote to you 
last. Why I have been so remiss, I cannot say. The best 
thing is to repair the omission. We have finished a triduum 
before the semi-annual renovation of our vows. It was a 
treat, for we had Father Maguire to give it. There is some- 
thing magnetic about him. All that he says is very simple, 
but very impressive, owing to the way in which he says it. 
The real force is, I think, his personal holiness. That makes 
the apostle; that wins souls and stirs up the lukewarm into 
a glow. That is something by which you too can be an 
apostle, for it is common to all those devoted to God. Wliat 
other reason had we for becoming religious than to become 
holy? It was that which God willed for us when in His 
mysterious wisdom He chose and called us, to draw us 
nearer to Himself, to be among His own immediate famil- 
iar friends, close to His own Person, to shower upon us 
constant proofs of His love and friendship. 'This is the 
'will of God, even our sanctification.' Is it our will too? Is 
it an efficacious will which directs the use of means to gain 
that end? Oh, how comparatively easy it is to acquire holi- 
ness ! W^e have only to use the means within our reach. 
No heights of meditation and contemplation are required, 
no macerations of the body absolutely needful, no extraor- 
dinary works to be wrought. We have only tO' live in union 
with Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, only to fulfil 

229 



LIFE OF KENRY VAN RENSSELAER 



each little insignificant duty as it presents itself for His 
sake; in a word, only to correspond with the grace and in- 
spiration He gives us, only to obey Him in our superiors. 
Not a hard task, it may seem, but still it is ; the very easi- 
ness of it makes it hard, strange as that sounds. We could 
force ourselves to do great and out-of-the-way things more 
easily perhaps than small, commonplace things. We find 
an hour's or a half-hour's meditation a hard and irksome 
work perhaps, yet we may delude ourselves by imagining 
ourselves capable of a life of contemplation. We offer our- 
selves as victims for ignominy and insult, yet we turn pale 
and are indignant if anyone seems to treat us with less than 
ordinary respect. We would perform wonderful feats of 
fasting; we cannot even put up with the food set before us 
without grumbling at least in our hearts. Yet God asks 
really so little of us. 'Age quod agis!' Whatever you do, 
do it with all your heart. That makes the saint. That made 
the sanctity of good Father Sadlier,* for I believe that he 
was a saint, ever forgetful of himself, ever mindful of 
others, self-sacrificing to a fault. Devout, but without os- 
tentation, a piety that charmed and won affection. I had 
the happiness of spending three weeks at the Boston Villa 
with him, and there I discovered his virtues and rejoice tO' 
have known him, for he was a true son of Ignatius, ripe for 
Heaven, and so we lost him. 

" . . . One thought seemed to run through the whole 
of our retreat this year which may be useful to you. Con- 
formity to the will of God is the touchstone which turns all 



* Francis Xavier Sadlier, SJ., mentioned in this letter, was the son 
of Mrs. James Sadlier, the well-known writer. He died at Holy Cross 
College, Worcester, Mass., on the fourteenth of November, 1885, with 
a great repute for holiness. 

230 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

to gold. Nature rebels at something said or ordered, some- 
thing unpleasant. It is the will of God. Why should I 
rebel against it? It is unpleasant only because I put myself 
in opposition to it. How much the imagination has to do 
with our judgments! It should not be so; but still it is so. 
God wants it of me. Is not this sufhcient motive tO' make 
sweet anything bitter? But, one will say, I don't like it. 
Don't like what God wishes? Let him make an act of faith, 
and, by the help of God, he will like it. The battle is over, 
the struggle is at an end. It seemed to me that this one 
thought would, if made a constant companion to be con- 
sulted on all occasions, make us saints in a very short time. 
It has done so in times past, why not then in ours? 

"Try this receipt and tell me if you do not find it palata- 
ble. I'm so glad to have the chance of assisting at a Bene- 
diction in your beautiful chapel. In two years, D. V., I 
hope to give it myself. Oh, how holy one should be to be 
entrusted with such an office! 

'Tray then for me, and commend me to your good sis- 
ters in religion. . . . 

"Ever your affectionate brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaejr, S.J." 

"AIy Dear Sister Dolores: "January 31, 1886. 

"P. C. 

"I don't think that I have written to you this year, so I 
had better begin before the first month has passed. I was 

quite shocked at 's death, coming as it did so suddenly. 

I hope it found him well prepared. It must be a great trial 
to his wife. 

"I sent her a most condoling account of the death of the 
celebrated Father Hermann's mother. You remember he 

231 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

was the wonderful musician, pupil of Liszt, a friend of 
Georges Sand, Alario, and others — a Jew, miraculously con- 
verted by the Blessed Sacrament. He afterwards became 
a Carmelite, was distinguished for his sanctity, and died a 
martyr of charity attending the soldiers in the Franco-Prus- 
sian war. Well, the aim of his life was the conversion of 
his family, and especially of his mother. In spite of all his 
efforts she died a Jewess apparently, to his intense grief. 
He spoke of it to the Cure d'Ars, who told him that six 
years later, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, he 
would have good news. The six years passed, and on the 
day named Feather Hermann received a letter through a 
Jesuit Father from a lady, who, after edifying the world 
by her piety and b}^ the devotional books she wrote, died in 
the odor of sanctity. To make a long story short she re- 
ceived a revelation in which the whole scene of Father 
Hermann's mother's death was shown to her. After the 
last breath, or at least when it seemed that she had lost con- 
sciousness and had ceased to breathe. Our Blessed Lady 
threw herself before the throne of her Son and begged as 
a special favor to her, the soul of the mother of her servant 
Hermann, who had so faithfully served her and had com- 
mitted to her keeping the soul of his mother a thousand 
times. She implored Our Lord not to allow this precious 
soul to be lost, and the petition was granted, for straight- 
way a mighty grace was given to the dying- Jewess; in a 
flash she saw the whole truth and cried out interiorly: 'O 
Jesus ! God of the Christians, the God whom my son adores, 
I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, have pity on me,' and 
she Avas saved. The lady was bidden by Our Lord to com- 
municate this to Father Hermann for his consolation, and 
as a proof of the power of Our Blessed Lady over the 

232 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

Sacred Heart of her Divine Son. Did you ever hear any- 
thing more consohng and strengthening than this? It has 
given me a new impulse in the spiritual life, a strong deter- 
mination to show myself, as St. Ignatius says, remarkable 
in God's service. 

"The whole life of Father Hermann is very striking and 
has had a wonderful effect on me, showing me how ungrate- 
ful I am, I, who like him, have received so many extraor- 
dinary graces, and yet am so backward in perfection after 
seven years of religious life. Let it animate us both to 
greater eft'orts. Is it not shameful that we should be such 
ordinary religious, yielding to so many pettinesses and 
weaknesses, and scarcely ashamed of them, excusing them 
as common to our nature? Common, indeed, they are, but 
we, who are vessels of election, should triumph over them. 
We haven't confidence enough in God, we haven't the idea 
ever before our minds that God expects more of those to. 
whom He has given more. We don't dare attempt great 
things, and what are great things? prolonged prayer, and 
fasting, etc. ? Xot necessarily, but the greatest thing is self- 
immolation, self-conquest, to which we can turn every ac- 
tion of our lives, every word we speak. We shall never be 
truly and solidly at peace and full of joy until we rest not 
in self, but in God alone; never happy until our thoughts 
turn naturally to God without our bidding, until all we do is 
done for Him; if done for Him, everything will become 
sweet in the doing, everything will be well done, for w^e are 
not servants, but sons of His love. Pray much for my ad- 
vancement; it is so easy to grow weary and work by fits 
and starts, in which case we accomplish nothing. 
"Ever your devoted brother, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer, S.J." 
233 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

''April 23, 1886. 
"Mv Dear Sister Dolores: 

"P. C 
"I want these few lines of greeting to reach you by 
Easter, and therefore I write to-day. I ho'pe that you have 
been able tO' take part in some of the Holy Week services. 
Ours have been, so far, very devotional. I am always for- 
tunate in being in the choir, so that I have an active part. 
Besides this, I painted a beautiful Paschal candle. I tried 
my hand last year with a certain amount of success, and I 
felt encouraged to offer to paint one for the Chapel this 
year. It is very elaborate. I put on some brilliant crimson 
bands, relieved with tracery of black and gold, and in the 
first division I placed the cross, where the blessed grains of 
incense go, filled out in bright blue and gold. In the panel 
» above are two palms crossed, representing victory over 
death and hell ; above comes a butterfly, emblem of the res- 
urrection, then the monogram of the first two letters in the 
Greek name of Christ X. P. (Chi, Rho) and above all the 
crown. 

"A thought that has made a deep impression on me these 
last few days, especially yesterday (Maundy Thursday), is 
the necessity of practical charity in our thoughts. I say 
practical, because we have it in abundance theoretically; 
what we need is the practice. . . ." 

As the day of his ordination to the priesthood approached, 
his happiness increased. No wonder; it would mark the 
end of long years of preparation and the consummation of 
the longings of a lifetime. He would shortly appear in a 
new role as the representative of the Good Shepherd seek- 
ing the lost sheep within and without the fold, and dispens- 

234 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

ing the Divine mercies to the sons of men. No one could 
act the part well who had not studied the character he was 
to portray and imbued himself with the spirit of the Divine 
Master. 

In April, 1886, he wrote: — 

"I have never felt better than during this Lent; so you 
see theology agrees with me. I am not sorry, though, that 
a year out of the course is nearly gone ; a year nearer the 
end. Next 3^ear at this time I hope to be practising the 
ceremonies of the Mass. Pray that I may become more self- 
sacrificing and unselfish. It is so necessary in a priest, above 
all in a Jesuit, and m.ost of all in a missionary. I take the 
greatest comfort and delight in the thought of the missions. 
What a debt we have to pay the Indians !" 

In the month of May he dwells upon a thought from one 
of his meditations. 

"We had our triduum last w^eek and the Renovation on 
Sunday. A thought that came to me most forcibly was the 
'Quid ad te? Tu me sequere.' AVhy do we lose our peace 
of mind? Very often by worrying and meddling about 
others. Quid ad tef What business is it of mine? I came 
into religion to sanctify myself primarily. If others have 
this or that defect, quid ad tef Attend to yourself, and you 
will have more than enough to do in following Christ. How 
can we keep step with Him if we are perpetually turning 
aside to follow others? Sequere me — that is our work, to 
follow Christ, and that demands all our attention. We shall 
accomplish most for others by closely following Him, for 
did He not go about doing good? Living charity is the 
most powerful preacher, and example does more than elo- 

235 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

quent words. Our Blessed Lady will be as she has always 
been, our Auxilium." 

Six months later, on the Feast of the Immaculate Con- 
ception, he speaks of a renewed and strengthened purpose 
to become holy. 

"Our triduum is over and has brought me great peace 
of mind and a strong determination to make a new start. 
Rather a shameful confession that, after eight years of 
religious life. 

"But were not these very renewals of our vows intended 
for this very purpose? It is a great grace not to be dis- 
couraged at one's failures. Disgusted with ourselves we 
may be, but the grace of God is so strong, the intercession 
of our Mother so powerful, the prayers of our saints so 
fruitful, that we must say, 'I can do all in Him who 
strengtheneth me.' Courage, then, and confidence, and we 
shall see what Christmas will bring us." 

When the day set for his ordination was announced his 
joy knew no bounds, as is attested by the brief extracts 
from his correspondence here given : — 

"Woodstock, 

"March 28, 1887. 
"On Friday, the Feast of the Compassion of the most 
Holy Virgin, I shall begin an eight days' retreat tO' prepare 
for the crowning happiness of my life, my priesthood. I 
have permission to be ordained in New York on the eve of 
Trinity Sunday. It all seems too good to be true, and I al- 
most dread at times that it is a dream. — only two months 
more. I -have the loftiest ideal of what I should be, but oh, 

236 



1 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

how far off from it I am ! This Holy Week must be the 
turning point in my Hfe and the beginning of a risen hfe 
of unselfish devotion." 

"Easter Eve, 

"April 9, 1887. 
'T never had two happier days than those on which I re- 
ceived the two steps to the altar. Bishop Curtis pontificated, 
and it added much to my joy to have him. I have just fin- 
ished acting as deacon at this morning's ceremonies, in 
which I sang the 'Exultet' and that beautiful 'Ite missa est, 
alleluia.' " 

The Eve of Trinity Sunday, 1887, saw Father Van Rens- 
selaer raised to the dignity of the priesthood. The cere- 
mony took place in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, with 
Archbishop Corrigan officiating. The next day the newly 
ordained priest said his Mass with much fervor in the 
Church of St. Francis Xavier, and a day or two later re- 
turned to Woodstock to complete his studies in theology 
and prepare as he thought for the Indian Missions. 

The life he was now entering upon was altogether new 
— the life of a priest. Hitherto his uppermost thought and 
endeavor had been his own sanctification ; henceforth he 
was to blend with that the sanctification of his neighbor. 
He felt, though he did not express it in words, that a new 
spirit had come over him, that with special significance 
might be applied to him the words of Scripture: 'The Spirit 
of the Lord is upon me wherefore He hath anointed me ; to 
preach the Gospel to the poor He hath sent me, to heal the 
contrite of heart' ; and with the graces of his ordination im- 
parting this new life, he began that silent apostolate for 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

which he was to become so noted later. We are not left 
altogether in the dark as to his first works of zeal, nor are 
we surprised to find that he began on the most unpromising 
material, the tramps. The following letter came from 
Woodstock some time in the spring of 1888 : — 

"The hour of the Holy Sacrifice is the happiest one of 
the day for me, and Holy Week will indeed be one of pen- 
ance, when we shall have to forego the Offering for three 
days. 

"I have had great consolations lately with my tramps; 
one, well educated and well connected, a Protestant, came 
three weeks ago. I took an interest in his case and brought 
him into the parlor, encouraged him and tried to restore his 
self-respect. I gave him a Catholic book to read while I 
was in class and explained some Catechism to him. When 
he left me after a few hours, he had learned to make the 
Sign of the Cross and the Hail Mary, and had formed a 
firm resolution to become a Catholic. I recommended him 
to invoke St. Joseph for a position. He did so, and has now 
a place in the best dry-goods house in Baltimore with a 
salary of eighteen dollars a week. Is not that a triumph of 
the Sacred Heart ? He said : 'I never knew what prayer 
was before.' 

''There are many other instances, too; one, a Jew of 
twenty-five, who had passed himself off as a Catholic, so 
that a companion, a real Catholic, always believed him to 
be one. I exhorted both to confession and put before them 
clearly the end for which they were created. They had 
their supper and went off to a hay-rick, where my transient 
boarders lodge. There the Jew confessed the truth to his 
companion, but said he wanted to become a Catholic, and 

238 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

the other resolved, after many years, to square his accounts. 
The next morning they came to breakfast and begged to 
remain another day. The Jew had learned the Our Father, 
Hail Mary, Creed and Act of Contrition, and insisted on 
being baptized. I put him off with an evasive answer and 
made him study Catechism all that day. In the meantime I 
consulted Father Rector, and he said : Tf he knows suffi- 
cient Catechism and what he is doing, he might, under the 
circumstances, be baptized.' So, after Mass the next day — 
it was a holiday, the 23d of February — I went through the 
whole Christian doctrine with him and then baptized him. 
Happily, one of the workmen left that day, and Father Min- 
ister told me I might keep both men. They have been here 
a month and give great edification in every way; another 
triumph of the Sacred Heart. I think I have found my vo- 
cation in the Society, the waifs and wanderers. 'The poor 
have the gospel preached to them.' Not that I have given 
up the Indians, far from it, but there are hosts of neglected 
men in the Far West, waiting for some one to stretch out 
a hand to them." 

On Christmas day, he wrote : "As you see, I am at home 
this year. We had Midnight Mass, at which I assisted, 
then rested till five, when I began my three Masses. I had 
everything beautiful about me, the decorated chapel, hand- 
some vestments, and rich sacred vessels, but no congrega- 
tion to assist. Next year I hope I shall be in the Mountains 
with a crowd of faithful Indians, or cowboys, or whites, it 
does not matter much, provided there are souls to be helped. 
It is hard for me to hold myself in. I have had such an 
abundance of zeal, which will, I hope, have an outlet in 
about three months. After all, what is the greatest work 

289 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

in the sight of God ? Our sanctification. This is the thing 
to be kept in view. God wants me to be a saint; if I am 
faithful He will work great things for His glory through 
me. How? That is for Him to determine." 

In the last year at Woodstock, Father Van Rensselaer 
had occasion to send his congratulations and good wishes to 
a kinswoman, a convert, who was nearing the end of her 
novitiate and was about to consecrate herself by the usual 
vows to the service of God in the religious state. It will be 
seen from the letter that he could turn to good account for 
others the fruit of his own meditations. 

"Woodstock College, 

"Howard County, Maryland, 

"November 19, 1888. 
"Dear Sister Margaret Mary: 

"This will reach you, I hope, on the day of your mystical 
espousals, to give you my heartiest congratulations and 
good wishes. If the day on which brides plight their troth 
tO' earthly bridegrooms be one of joy and well-wishing, what 
must the case be when the groom is no other than a God- 
man, and the union not to last as long as life, but as long as 
eternity — a groom who has loved His bride from the foun- 
dation of the world, with a love not fitful and fickle, but 
constant and unchangeable as He is Himself ; a bridegroom 
that can never misunderstand His spouse because He can 
read the inmost thoughts of the heart; a bridegroom who 
has at His command all the treasures of Heaven to lavish 
on His bride, so that she can lack nothing nor fear for the 
future, for her riches and her happiness are to go on in- 
creasing vuitil fully perfected in Heaven. 

240 



ORDAINED A PRIEST 

"I was meditating this morning on Nathanael, and the 
praise bestoAved on him by Our Lord : 'Behold an Israelite 
indeed, in whom is no' guile;' not merely a son of Abraham, 
the father of the faithful, according to the flesh, but accord- 
ing to the spirit — Avho kept not merely the letter but also 
the spirit of the law. Above all, he was 'without guile,' 
simple-hearted, nothing stood between him and God, and so 
Our Lord said to him: 'Amen, amen, I say tO' you, you 
shall see Heaven opened and the angels of God ascending 
and descending upon the Son of Man.' What a reward for 
guilelessness to see Heaven opened and the angels fulfilling 
their dutiful ministry to the Son of Man, Who is also the 
Son of God. Is not this the beatitude which says : 'Blessed 
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' ? Are we to 
understand it only of the future life, or may we not believe 
that at least glimpses of God and His glory are vouchsafed 
to the guileless and pure of heart even here on earth? And 
if so, to whom rather than tO' those who consecrate their 
virginity to Him, and in the simplicity of their hearts offer 
and consecrate themselves wholly and unreservedly forever 
to His holy service and pledge an answering faithfulness to 
their life's end? 

"Such, dear Sister Margaret, you will do on the beautiful 
feast of Our Lady's Presentation. May she help you to 
persevere in that offering of yourself, that, as the Collect 
for the feast says, by her intercession you may merit to- be 
presented to God in the temple of His glory. Such will be 
my petition for you in Holy Mass. 

"May God bless and keep you and make His face to shine 
upon you and give yoii peace now and forever. 
"Ever your devoted friend, 

"Pray for me." "Hent?y Van Rensselaer, S.J." 

^41 



CHAPTER XIV. 
In the Ministry. 

IN the Spring of 1889, Father Van Rensselaer began his 
zealous labors in New York City. For four years he 
had looked forward to a life among the Indians of the 
North- West, but at the last moment a new Provincial of the 
Maryland-New York Province used his influence to keep 
him in the East. This Superior felt that the good to be 
accomplished among the Indians by the newly ordained 
priest was largely problematical, while the province over 
which he presided could ill afford to lose the services of so 
valuable a man. Submissively, Father Van Rensselaer ac- 
cepted the transfer to his former status in the Maryland- 
New York Province, and was soon after detailed for duty 
at St. Francis Xavier's, West Sixteenth street. New York. 
It is no' easy task to give even a succinct account of the 
various works of zeal that filled up the seventeen years of 
his ministry in the metropolis. A large share of the parish 
work fell to his lot, yet he never seemed to grow weary, and 
no matter how numerous his activities, he was always ready 
to undertake more. Sick calls, Masses at inconvenient 
hours, service in hospitals, visits to the poor, semions and 
lectures, retreats, triduums, sodalities of men and boys, class 
for converts, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Deaf Mutes, 
Ancient Order of Hibernians, Knights of Columbus, daily 
visits to the Xavier Club and the Nazareth Day Nursery, 
confessions, baptisms, marriages, pledges to the intemper- 
ate, emplovment for the needy, visits to the prisons; all 

242 



IN THE MINISTRY 

these represent in a general way the round of occupations 
that kept him busy from dawn till far into the night. The 
bare enumeration of these works of mercy and love sounds 
like a litany of his good deeds in the vineyard of his Father. 
With all this he never murmured nor gave the impression 
of being overworked. He went about each duty as if that 
were his only concern in life. It is only when all his zealous 
labors are catalogued and viewed in retrospect that the list 
causes one to inquire in astonishment how he was able to 
accomplish so much. Would you believe that he found 
time, moreover, to write plays of an amusing character for 
his young men, and that he took charge of the rehearsals 
himself ? 

He had a predilection for singing High IMass on Sun- 
days, and no church service, however long or fatiguing — 
and there were many in the course of the year at St. Francis 
Xavier's — caused him to utter a word of complaint. ''The 
Three Hours' Agony" on Good Friday he claimed for him- 
self. Except upon one occasion, when he gave the dis- 
courses upon the Seven Words from the Cross, he always 
led the exercises, the fervent unction with which he recited 
the prayers never failing to move the hearts of the people 
and to contribute largely to the beauty and dignity of the 
devotion. 

He had little love for preaching, and the most enthusiastic 
admirer w^ould hardly have called him an orator. Still he 
occasionally surpassed himself and discoursed with genuine 
eloquence. His last sermon at High Mass was delivered at 
St. Francis Xavier's, in October, 1900, and those who heard 
him on that occasion will recall the original way in which 
he handled a trite subject. The gospel of the day was the 
])arable of the unmerciful servant. The preacher unfolded 

243 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

the narrative after his own fashion, and then made an appli- 
cation to existing conditions of human society. He called 
the parable a drama in three acts. In the first act, there is 
the debtor of ten thousand talents, or say, a million dollars. 
The King is the magnate, the captain of industry, the multi- 
millionaire. The servant who owes a million dollars is his 
right-hand man, or agent, or charge d'affaires. But in 
modern parlance he is "a plunger" and has been risking his 
master's money and speculating in stocks, counting, of 
course, on the sure thing. Then comes the unexpected slump 
in the market, followed by the usual catastrophe, and the 
dishonest speculator loses everything, even that which he 
could never have claimed as his own. There is no way out 
of his embarrassment except to throw himself on the mercy 
of his employer. He admits his crookedness, pleads for ex- 
tension of time, and gets his family and friends to intercede 
for him. The magnate relents and freely forgives him. 
The gratitude of the rehabilitated servant is profound. Act 
two : Transformation. — ^The suppliant becomes the throt- 
tler. The humble petitioner is transformed into the re- 
lentless creditor. Before the week is out he demands the 
payment of an hundred pence, say one hundred dollars, 
from his clerk. He himself has been forgiven a debt of a 
million dollars, and he exacts the payment of one hundred 
from his fellow servant. The poor fellow pleads for mercy. 
In extenuation he urges that his wages are but ten dollars 
a week, and he has appropriated only one hundred in the 
course of the year. He admits his guilt, but offers in ex- 
cuse that at home there is an invalid widowed mother. 
There was an impending eviction of the family, now hap- 
pily averted. On his shoulders falls the care of younger 
brothers and sisters, who AAOuld starve if they depended 

244 



IN THE MINISTRY 

solely upon his meagre allowance. But his pleadings are in 
vain. He is summarily ejected and given over to the officers 
of the law. Act three : The tables are turned. The master 
treats the heard-hearted wretch as he treated his clerk, and 
exacts the full penalty. Here the preacher proceeded rap- 
idly to an enlargement of his theme and spoke on Christian 
forgiveness. Christ, he held up as the model who taught 
the lesson of forgiveness by word and example from the 
cradle to the grave. ''By this shall all men know that you 
are my disciples, if you have love one for another." This 
is the victory over the pagan world. As was said in the 
early days of Christianity, "See how the Christians love 
one another." Christ taught the lesson of forgiveness from 
the cross. Then he instanced St. Stephen praying- for his 
murderers, Blessed Fisher and Bl. Thomas More, St. Jane 
Frances de Chantal, St. Monica condoning the faults of hus- 
band and son, in contrast with the conduct of fathers and 
mothers generally. He alluded to a case that had come 
under his notice, of a father who had disinherited his son 
for some boyish escapade. On his death-bed his heart was 
still hardened. He w^ould not forgive even his own flesh 
and blood, and unforgiving he went before the awful judg- 
ment seat. The measure of our forgiveness will be the 
measure of God's mercy. "As we forgive those who tres- 
pass against us." The trifling offence of our fellow man he 
set over against the infinite offence of sin, infinite in its ef- 
fects, for it entails the loss of heaven. God forgives, gives 
preventing grace, that is. He is the first to make the ad- 
vance. He goes to meet the sinner, grants pardon for the 
asking, and forgets the offence; considers repentance a per- 
sonal favor, a cause of congratulation. "There shall be joy 
in heaven." He concluded with an appeal for self-examina- 
tion and forgiveness if we hope to be forgiven. 

245 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

This is only a brief outline of the sermon, but it will 
serve to show how very original in conception, how prac- 
tical and direct were his discourses toi the people. Though 
he always gave careful preparation to his sermons and ad- 
dresses, he never wrote them: out in full. One reason for 
this was that he could never trust his memory to retain a 
carefully conned and polished composition. His voice was 
somewhat against him, but, with his earnestness and fervor 
of delivery, his wealth of thought and illustration, he always 
made a deep impression upon his hearers. 

There is an enormous amount of written matter left 
among his notes ; skeleton sermons for every Sunday in the 
year — sometimes half a dozen for the same Sunday — 
sketches of discourses for festivals, for special occasions, for 
the different societies with which he was connected, all of 
them attesting his unflagging zeal and the high idea he en- 
tertained of the work of a priest in the pulpit and on the 
platform. 

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius he made a pro- 
found and life-long study. He had for his use a printed 
copy of one of Father Roothan's editions, over two hun- 
dred and fifty pages, octavo, which is literally covered with 
annotations and suggestions, written so closely between the 
lines and on the margins as to be almost undecipherable. 
Besides this annotated copy of the Book of the Exercises, 
there are drafts by the score of meditations and instructions 
for triduums and retreats, adapted to various classes of men 
and women, proof of the elaborate care he bestowed upon 
this important branch of a Jesuit priest's work. Over and 
above the ordinary retreats to religious communities and 
the laity which fall to the lot of every Jesuit, Father Van 
Rensselaer was called upon to give an occasional one to the 

246 



IN THE MINISTRY 

clergy. These retreats, by reason of the far-reaching good 
resulting therefrom, are without doubt the most important 
charge which can be entrusted to a priest. That he con- 
ducted them successfully, is the testimony of those who 
made them under his direction, and is borne out by the fol- 
lowing tribute from a diocesan newspaper. It is headed "A 
Knickerbocker Jesuit." 

"The priests of the diocese are very grateful to the dis- 
tinguished Jesuit Father, the Rev. Henry Van Rensselaer, 
for the delightful way in which he conducted the spiritual 
exercises of their retreat last week. 

*Tt is true, of course, that, humanly speaking, the fruit 
of a spiritual retreat must always depend on oneself. Yet, 
the personality of him who conducts the exercises, and the 
vigor and freshness with which he puts things, has not a 
little to do with the success of a retreat. 

"These Father Van Rensselaer possesses in a striking 
degree. To begin with, he is a man of knightly presence, 
without fear, without reproach, who speaks as God's am- 
bassador. One easily perceives, too, that he is endowed 
with a noble soul, who despises everything low or mean. He 
is, moreover, a gentleman of distinguished family, reared 
in luxury, with large patrimony, and on whose future the 
radiant sky sweetly smiled. Brought up an alien to the 
Church, his eyes, like Paul's, were mercifully opened to the 
light of faith; and further favored by a divine call to a life 
of perfection, he left all the glittering world had in store 
for him to follow the Master. 

"Trained in the military school of Loyola, this scion of 
New York's Four Hundred is a soldier of the Cross. To 
pierce the sinful hearts of men with the power and mystery 

247 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

of the Cross is his one grand passion. He has, moreover, 
the art of putting things with striking force. And as one 
gazes on his handsome face, and Hstens to the music of his 
voice — enhanced by the unmistakable New York accent — 
the old truths have a new meaning and fascinate the heart 
as never before. 

"This is God's way of using human gifts and advantages 
for His greater honor and glory and the salvation of souls." 

In 1896, Father Van Rensselaer was invited to preach at 
St. Mary's Cathedral, Ogdensburg, which may be regarded 
as his native city, Woodford, the family estate, being only 
half a mile to the west. The local press treated his coming 
as an event of unusual interest. One daily paper devoted 
two columns to a description of Woodford, with a picture 
in half-tone of the old Van Rensselaer residence, "from 
the porch of which, with its massive Corinthian columns, 
one looked through vistas of the intercepting foliage, across 
broad meadows to the majestic flow of the St. Lawrence." 
In this account there is a brief reference to Heni*y Van 
Rensselaer, Inspector General of the Army, and former 
owner of Woodford, another to the visit of his eldest son 
Stephen, also a soldier, who won his spurs at Gettysburg, 
and then the article concludes : "Some decades of years 
passed, and a new generation had almost forgotten the asso- 
ciations with Woodford, when the youngest living son and 
namesake of its former owner, came among his towns- 
people. He, too, had enlisted, but for spiritual warfare un- 
der the leadership of the great Captain, St. Ignatius Loyola, 
in the Company of Jesus, and his mission is the peaceful one 
of winning souls to Christ." 

The sermon at Ogdensburg was largely an account of his 

248 



IN THE MINISTRY 

conversion to the Church and, indirectly, of the development 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America from the 
time of the American Revolution. The story of the devel- 
opment of the American Episcopal Church served him later 
as an introduction to his autobiography and is a fine speci- 
men of his skill in graphic narration. No apology is needed 
for reproducing it here. 

"I was born of very religious parents of the strong 
Protestant type. My father was of Dutch Reformed origin, 
while my mother was a Protestant Episcopalian. Fifty 
years ago the distinction between those sects was compara- 
tively unimportant. They wxre all Protestants and were 
proud of it. The good old dominies of those days would 
scarcely recognize the transformed sects of to-day. The 
name Catholic was a by-word. The temi priest was not yet 
usurped by ministers, with the exception of a few who were 
eyed askance as dangerous characters, secret allies of the 
Scarlet Woman and in her pay. The evolution of the Epis- 
copal Church into a so-called branch of the Catholic Church 
is interesting. 

''Originally an off-shoot of the Established Protestant 
Church of England, this American branch was cut off by 
the Declaration of Independence and had to assume a new 
corporate existence and title. The staunch Protestants ot 
those days were proud of their Protestantism and asserted 
it in their new name. But they had bishops, so-called, and 
therefore they were Episcopalians. So their sect was 
thenceforth to be known as the Protestant Episcopal 
Church, a name which suited it admirably. They were on 
friendly terms with other Protestant denominations, and 
their Protestantism connoted the supposed errors of Rome. 

249 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

'^The Oxford movement, strong in England, had only a 
comparatively slight effect in the United States. But the 
example of Newman and the galaxy of great men who fol- 
lowed him to Rome could not fail to make an impression 
on some of the earnest-minded ministers of the day. The 
vivifying breath of the Holy Spirit was about to infuse life 
into the dry bones of Protestantism. The true concept of a 
living Church, with power to teach the truth, was dawning. 
The vision of the eternal priesthood according to the order 
of Melchisedech, with its visible representatives offering 
sacrifice, rose up before them and fascinated them. The 
five sacraments that had been discarded so contemptuously 
by the prime movers of the great revolt against the Church, 
seemed in the new light no longer 'old women's fables or 
corrupt following of the Apostles,' but channels of divine 
grace instituted by Christ Himself. The glorious Commun- 
ion of Saints appeared, as it is in very truth, the realiza- 
tion of the close relations that exist between the members 
of the Church militant on earth and of the Church triumph- 
ant in heaven. It was no longer an empty expression in 
the creed, repeated thousands of times without even an ink- 
ling of its meaning. It was, indeed, the ever-presence of 
the *cloud of witnesses and the spirits of the just made per- 
fect.' The great fact of the Incarnation stood out in its 
magnificent proportions, and in consequence the essential 
part played by the Virgin Mother forced itself on the ac- 
ceptance of all honest minds. Even the unique privilege 
of St. Peter as the Rock upon which Christ built His 
Church, as the receiver from Him of the Keys of the King- 
dom of Heaven, as the feeder of His sheep and lambs, His 
own representative as the Good Shepherd of the flock, 
seemed less impossible of belief. 

250 



IN THE MINISTRY 

''Such a growth in the acceptance of Catholic doctrines 
was gradual and met with many obstacles. The prejudices 
of over three centuries died hard, if they died at all. The 
journey to the true Jerusalem, the City of God on earth, was 
up-hill and laborious. It demanded courage and persever- 
ance. In many cases it was bloodless martyrdom. 

"Perhaps the most striking way to show this growth is to 
follow the evolution of the eucharistic service, for this was 
the axis on w^hich the movement turned. In good old-fash- 
ioned Episcopal churches there was a chancel and in the 
chancel a communion table — a veritable table with four 
legs, and when in use, once a month, it was covered with a 
regulation linen table-cloth. Being a table for the Lord's 
Supper, as it was then commonly called, there was ordi- 
narily nothing on it. Then an ornamental cover was placed 
over it, and this became later a frontal. The empty space 
between the legs was filled in, and it took on the semblance 
of an altar. Next a shelf made its appearance at the back 
of the table. On the shelf a cross of flowers was intro- 
duced on a feast-day — Christmas or Easter. The flowers 
withered and were removed, but the w^ooden cross remained. 
Next, two candlesticks with candles, for light in the early 
morning only, flanked the cross. As it was no longer a re- 
ceptacle for flowers, two vases were substituted. By this 
time the old-fashioned Communion table had blossomed into 
a simple type of altar. The large flagon of wine, the capa- 
cious cup, and the plate of bread were no more visible on 
the table. A credence, or side, table was provided. The 
elements, as they were called, were covered with a veil, and 
the bread was in the form of wafers. The ministers, and 
they were not ashamed of the name, of old stood at either 
end of the table, so that the congregation could witness all 

251 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

their actions. This was technically termed the northward 
position, altho'Ug-h north and south would have been more 
correct. But the eastward position (the altar end of the 
church theoretically was supposed to face east) became prev- 
alent, and the minister stood with his back to the people, 
giving- him a chance for various ritualistic practices which 
he interpolated unknown to the congregation. But the dress 
of the embryo-priest had to keep pace with the development 
of the altar. First, he donned a cassock reaching to his 
feet, with a moderately long surplice. The broad black 
scarf, worn on all occasions, gave way on great feasts to a 
white one. This done and accepted, the other colors were 
soon adopted. But the surplice was not an eucharistic vest- 
ment. A sort of combination chasuble and surplice served 
as a go-between, until the regular chasuble was no longer 
an object of suspicion. For a while the material was linen, 
sometimes handsomely embroidered; silk soon replaced the 
linen, and a set of silk vestments of all the liturgical colors 
became a part of every ritualistic establishment. The evo- 
lution was well nigh complete; the chancel had become the 
sanctuary ; the table, the altar, and all its appurtenances were 
there. The cross had received its figure and was a crucifix. 
The step on which it had stood had grown tall and evolved 
into a tabernacle. Candles blazed on the altar even in broad 
daylight. Not one sanctuary lamp burned before the altar, 
but seven, as being more scriptural. The Communion ser- 
vice, or the Lord's Supper, by dint of omissions and addi- 
tions, might pass for the Mass, and was with great ostenta- 
tion announced as such. True, the language was English, 
but it was so mumbled that it could be mistaken for Latin, 
or some unknown tongue. Stations of the cross were 
erected; statues of the saints graced the sanctuary or side 

252 







CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, 
NEW YORK CITY 



IN THE MINISTRY 

altars; confessionals were provided, and holy water stoups 
enhanced the semblance to Catholicity. 

"With all this external growth, doctrinal teaching had 
been in the lead. The 'faithful' were forbidden to call them- 
selves Protestants and were Catholics or Anglo-Catholics; 
whereas Catholics must be contemptuously called Roman- 
ists, for, according to the new Gospel, Romanists were only 
a sect, originating in Italy, while the Anglican Church was 
the Church, pure and undefiled, conformable to primitive 
Christianity. 

"Of course the ritualists proper were, and stih are, a very 
small minority in the Protestant Episcopal Church. But 
they had a certain influence in leavening the Protestant 
lump, and in raising portions of it in doctrines and practices. 
But by far the more influential party is that known as the 
Broad Church, which, in reality, is so rationalistic that it 
rejects such fundamental truths as the Divinity of Christ, 
and consequently the Trinity, and perforce the two com- 
monly accepted sacraments as real means of grace, and 
denies the inspiration of the Scriptures. The Low Church 
party contains the old conservative Protestants, and might 
be characterized as Evangelical or Bible Christians, re- 
spectable, but unreasoning. Then come the High Church- 
men, holding various attitudes of belief, the greater part 
being High and Dry, and so considered very safe, with no 
danger of reaching the height whence a fall Romeward 
would be likely." 

The Ogdensburg Courier ^ in its resume of the discourse, 
states that "the speaker made an elaborate argument in sup- 
port of his present religious belief, and closed the lecture, 
saying: T thank God I am what I am.' " 

253 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

In November, 1897, the venerable Father Clarence Wal- 
worth celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the laying of 
the corner-stone of the first St. Mary's Church, Albany, 
N. Y., of which he had been pastor for over thirty years. 
Father . Van Rensselaer was an old-time friend, and the 
family affiliations with the early history of Albany sug- 
gested him as one of the speakers for the celebration. The 
occasion was inspiring. Albany, the old Fort Orange, was 
once the home of the patroons and for generations the centre 
of their influence throughout the State. In the history of 
the trading post, and its development into the capital of the 
Empire State, the Van Rensselaer family had played a con- 
spicuous part. On the other hand, the Jesuit Mission sites 
were not far away, and if we include the land bordering on 
the St. Lawrence as far as Ogdensburg, they were actually 
situated in Van Rensselaer property. The first of the Mo- 
hawk Castles, the historic Auriesville, where Jogues, and 
Bressani, and their fellows toiled and suffered for the faith. 
was only forty miles distant. There was a fitness, then, in 
the selection of Father Van Rensselaer, a descendant of the 
old patroons, and a brother in religion of those heroic mis- 
sionaries, to tell the story of the Church's growth in a land 
endeared to him^ by so many ties. There is no record pre- 
served of the discourse delivered on that occasion, though 
he doubtless made it the object of special preparation. In a 
chronicle of the event it is referred to as an eloquent ser- 
mon on the text, "This is none other than the house of God ; 
this is the gate of Heaven." 

In the ''Life Sketches of Father Walworth," published 
in 1907, there is a pen picture of the preacher as he ap- 
peared in the pulpit of historic St. Mary's : — 

"Tall and dark amid the resplendent glory of the cere- 

^54 



IN THE MINISTRY 

rnony, stood the Jesuit in dear old St. Mary's oaken pulpit. 
He stood there in the heydey of manly beauty, a lineal de- 
scendant of the first Albany patroon, and all the while a 
crucifix glimmered at his girdle. He was every inch a 
black-gown, a devoted missionary, a devoted son of Loyola, 
and so, too, was the one of whom he spoke, Isaac Jogues^ 
discoverer of Lake George, a friend of Megapolensis at 
Fort Orange, and martyr of the Mohawk Mission. The 
vigor and graces of a noble orator were his, and who could 
say that Father Van Rensselaer was not the right man in 
the right place for that occasion?"- 



265 



CHAPTER XVL 
The Tertianship. 

UPON the completion of his studies, every Jesuit is sent 
back to the novitiate to spend a year in the humble 
employments and spiritual duties which helped to lay the 
foundation of his religious life. This year is usually called 
the third year of probation, or, to distinguish it from the 
novitiate, the tertianship. In Father Van Rensselaer's case, 
however, it was only after some years of the ministry that 
he was sent to Frederick, Md., to complete his spiritual 
training. Shortly after his arrival he wrote the following 
interesting letter to his mother: 

"Novitiate,^ 

"Frederick City, Md., 

"September 20, 1893. 
"My Dearest Mother: 

"I suppose you are anxious to know how I am settled in 
my new quarters. There could not be a greater contrast 
than between New York and Frederick. The latter is the 
dullest little town possible. No hustle, but withal noisy, as 
everybody speaks out loud in the street, to the great an- 
noyance of those inside the house. The inevitable small boy 
makes it lively, too. Moreover, it is enlivened by church 
bells. There is quite a rivalry. We, however, always have 
the lead, as we begin at 5 a. m., but the others make up for 
it later on. I do not think that I have sat as much in -four 
years as I have the last eighteen days since I have been here. 

^56 



^ 



THE TERTIANSHIP 

In fact, the last thirteen years seem like a dream, for I have 
gone back again to m}^ novice days. This illusion is kept 
up in a way by having many of my early friends in religion 
here with me, so we feel very much at home. The Rector is 
an old friend of mine, formerly a fellow-student at Wood- 
stock. 

"The neighborhood is beautiful. Frederick Valley is very 
fertile, and the mountains that shut it in make a fine back- 
ground on every side. The town is more like an old Euro- 
pean one than its sister Americans. There is little or no 
progress. The people are comfortable ; in fact Frederick is 
said to be the richest town of its population in the country 
—9,000 inhabitants and eleven banks with $3,000,000 de- 
posits. The people, descendants of the hireling Hessians, 
are not very attractive, but of a hard, repulsive type. I like 
the darkies, who abound and have good manners. A good 
many battles were fought in the vicinity, and the graveyard 
has a long row of headstones of soldiers. Our house was 
used as a hospital. But enough of the place. 

"We begin our thirty days' retreat next Thursday, and it 
will be over on the 30th of October. Fortunately we have 
a very interesting Father to give it, Father Villiger, who 
has just returned from a visit to the Holy Land, so that his 
descriptions of the sacred places will be graphic and au- 
thentic. As a great deal of the time will be spent in medi- 
tating upon the life of Our Lord, it will make the scenes 
more real. Take good care of yourself. . . . 
"Ever your devoted son, 

"Henry Van Rensselaer, S.J." 

^^^^ile in this place of retreat, where his time was so 
largely devoted to the study and practice of the ascetic life, 

257 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

his fervor may be said to^ have been at its height. It was 
the last great opportunity he should have to recast his spirit- 
ual aims and ambitions, to select with greater care than 
heretofore the weapons most suited for the spiritual war- 
fare ahead, and to see that his supply would be sufficient 
for all the remaining years of his conflict with human pas- 
sions and the enemy of mankind in the conquest of human 
souls. 

Once only during that year was he permitted to under- 
take any departure from the daily routine. This was when 
he was invited to organize a Catholic association for young 
men, like the Xavier Club of New York City. Suitable 
quarters were obtained in St. John's Literary Institute, a 
school famous in its day and the training place of Admiral 
Schley, Robert Brady, Provincial of the Maryland-New 
York Jesuits, and many others distinguished in Church and 
State. The Rev. John McElroy, S.J., whose zealous labors 
for the Church have made his name a household word along 
the Atlantic sea-board from Washington to Boston, was 
one of its early presidents. There were then respectable 
traditions of the past, and the halo' of great names and ac- 
complishments to recommend St. John's Literary Institute 
as a proper place for starting a society for Catholic young 
men. All that was needed was the fiat of a man of enter- 
prise and energy, or better still, a man of zeal and experi- 
ence, to give shape and spirit to the material that lay ready 
for the workman. Father Van Rensselaer was the man. 
Within a few months the formal opening of the Catholic 
Club of Frederick took place with a membership of two 
hundred, many of the most prominent citizens of Frederick 
being on its rolls. 

The Master, or Instructor of Tertians, was the venerable 

268 



THE TERTIANSHIP 

Father Burchard Villiger, a man of eminent piety and 
learning, who a few years later died as he had Hved, in the 
odor of sanctity, at the age of eighty-four. His edifying 
Hfe has since been given to the world by Father John Ryan, 
one of his religious confreres. The chief spiritual exercise 
of the third year is the retreat of thirty days. This retreat 
is made by the Jesuit but twice during his lifetime, the first 
shortly after his admission into the novitiate. Four or five 
meditations, each an hour's length, are considered every 
day, and the points, as they are called, or summary of the 
subject matter for reflection, are given by the Instructor to 
all the Fathers, who meet for that purpose in a private 
chapel or oratory. 

In the journal of his thirty days' retreat. Father Van 
Rensselaer thanks God for putting him under such an in- 
structor as Father Villiger, "a man of God, wholly spirit- 
ual, whose every word is weighty because carried out in his 
life. He has tremendous power, and thus before the exer- 
cises he disposed us by showing himself really a Father: 
considerate, kind and interested entirely in our welfare. 
No wonder, then, that St. Ignatius speaks through him. An 
intense spirit of faith pervades every instruction and all the 
points. Under such a leader we can follow." And again 
he writes : "Our instructor, like all the saints, is powerful 
in extremes, that is, he can expatiate enthusiastically on the 
love of God and His Son, but at the same time paint in 
glowing terms the terrors of His justice. And so all was 
made very vivid. What impresses one most in Father 
Villiger is the fact that he practises what he gives — not a 
lesson learned by rote, but heart. He carries out what he 
says and he knows by experience. He talks of Our Lord as 
if he lived in intimate communion with Him, and so could 

259 / 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Speak as an eye and ear witness. He has great devotion to 
the Holy Angels. His description of the preparation and 
the event of the Nativity were exquisite in simplicity, faith 
and beauty. And so it is with the other mysteries of Our 
Lord's infancy. The Shepherds were like old friends, teach- 
ing us the lesson of fitness for and ready correspondence 
with Divine grace and calls." 

The notes or jottings of the journal give a wonderful in- 
sight into the maturer character of Father Van Rensselaer 
as it had developed since he became a Jesuit. The man of 
action is rightly and fully understood only with a knowledge 
of the secret springs which control his conduct. The notes 
were not written for publication, as they are the commun- 
ings of his own soul with its Maker. We shall give here 
only the words with which the journal concludes : "Thir- 
tieth day, and so we have come to an end! Am I much 
changed for the better? As the Directory* warns, it was 
only the seed-time — the harvest not till the end — my end 
on earth. I hope I have advanced in the way. I realized 
more the Contemplation on Love of God. May my life be 
the fulfilment. I must strive to have the Supernatural con- 
stantly in view — in superiors, equals, people in general. 
Never forget my watch-word. Quid ad te ? Tu Me sequere. 
Te Duce, Sequar! AMiat is it to thee? Do thou follow 
Me. Lead Thou, O Lord, I will follow!" 



* The Directory is an authorized commentary on the Book of the 
Spiritual Exercises of special assistance to those giving a retreat. 

260 



CHAPTER XVII. 
The Messenger of the Sacred Heart. 

AFTER his tertianship Father Van Rensselaer was sent 
to Philadelphia as one of the Assistant Directors of 
the Apostleship of Prayer. The assignment was the very 
reverse of acceptable tp him, for he had been always hoping 
to be employed exclusively in the external work of the min- 
istry. But, like a submissive religious, he swallowed his 
disappointment, and set himself to what was to him a very 
irksome task, that of revising manuals, reviewing little 
books of devotion, devising decorations for banners or 
badges, with occasional preaching in parishes where the 
League of the Sacred Heart had to be organized or needed 
reviving. His very fine literary taste, however, which he 
had never ceased to exercise, was of great service in what- 
ever writing was assigned to him, and not a few contribu- 
tions appear over his signature in the volumes of the Mes- 
senger of the Sacred Heart between the years 1894 and 
1898. 

''He entered upon his editorial duties with wonderful 
alacrity," writes the Rev. Joseph Smith, in a sympathetic 
and scholarly tribute which appeared in the Messenger of 
the Sacred Heart for February, 1909. "Eveiything that he 
contributed to the Messenger was distinctly good, and al- 
ways simple, natural and tranquil. His writings in prose 
and verse reveal an enthusiastic lover of the Sacred Heart 
and an ardent champion of the League. Here as in every 
other undertaking that engaged his beautiful mind and ten- 

261 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER . 

der, amiable heart, he served God unremittingly, not in part 
nor with half measures, but generously, gladly and faith- 
fully. The model priest and apostle who had hoped to labor 
for Christ in far-away Alaska was equally earnest in labor 
and earnest in faith and prayer when obedience placed him 
in what was, for a time at least, an obscurer field." 

Father Van Rensselaer's wonderful adaptability to what- 
ever work was given him to^ do, no matter how uncongenial, 
was never better displayed than in his various and varied 
contributions to the Messenger of the Sacred Heart and its 
companion publication The Pilgrim. 

He had a happy knack of verse-making, a result of long 
practice, and he frequently pressed it into service in explain- 
ing the various devotions and practices of the League. It 
will be sufficient to cite one, which has found its way into 
the League Manual. It is entitled : — 

The Promoter's Cross. 

'Tis the King's own sacred sign 

Setting us apart 
For a mission all divine. 

Of His Sacred Heart. 
Let our Cross our ensign be, 
Leading us to victory. 

Not the metal value we, 

Though 'twere precious gold; 

Its indulgenced dowry 
Has a wealth untold. 

Let our Cross our ensign be, 

Leading us to victory. 
262 



THE MESSENGER OF THE SACRED HEART 

Whose the imag-e 'graved on it? 

Jesus' Heart aflame. 
Whose the superscription writ? 

Jesus' Holy name. 
Let our Cross our ensign be, 
Leading us to victory. 

Let our Cross be full in view, 

Proud that men should know 
We are to our mission true 

Wheresoe'er we go. 
So our Cross our ensign be, 
Leading us to victory. 

There are others on the League motto: "Thy Kingdom 
Come"; the "Quid Retribuam?" etc. 

An excellent example of his prose style is to be seen in 
the following instruction which he wrote on the Holy 
Rosary. It is full of meat and eminently characteristic of 
the man. 

"A score of years ago I was visiting Rome and told that 
one of the things to do was tO' gO' to the Church of the Gesu 
on Sunday afternoon to hear il dialogo, the dialogue. Of 
course, I took advantage of the opportunity and went at the 
appointed hour. The Gesu is, as the name implies, the 
Church of the Society of Jesus, and is attached to the 
mother-house. It is one of the most beautiful edifices in 
the Eternal City, and perhaps one of the richest in decora- 
tions in the world. 

"When I reached the church I found it filled to over- 
flowing. At one side of the nave was a raised platform on 

263 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

a level with the shoulders of the standers, for in Roman 
churches there are no pews, and very few chairs. On this 
platform were two priests in the Jesuit habit, and long- 
cloaks. It was a genuine dialogue, and the subject, sug- 
gested no doubt by the feast, the Solemnity of the Rosary, 
was the popular devotion. The method of treatment, though 
common in Rome, was to me quite novel. One of the priests 
advanced all the difficulties that Protestants commonly ex- 
perience in regard to the Rosary. He played his part well, 
and put forward the objections as strongly as possible. The 
other priest refuted each difficulty as it was presented. 

''Have we not in this Roman custom the suggestion of 
the modern 'Question Box' system? We think, however, 
that the dialogue has the advantage. For, in the first place, 
it is all viva voce. Then the objector can urge his difficulty 
until it is thoroughly answered. Again, the difficulty is put 
in the best manner possible. Lastly, only one difficulty, or 
several intimately connected, comes under discussion at the 
same meeting, instead of a heterogeneous collection of dis- 
parate objections. 

"Well, the discussion at which we were present was most 
animated, and was by no means a dry talk. Oratory in a 
high degree was displayed on both sides. Of course, 'truth 
is mighty,' and on this occasion, as on all others, it pre- 
vailed. The adversary admitted the cogency of the argu- 
ments and after a brave struggle knelt at the feet of the 
defender and publicly acknowledged his own defeat and the 
force of the statement of the true doctrine. He then apol- 
ogized for having played the part of the devil's advocate. 
The whole affair was very instructive and helpful. Some 
one might ask if it were not dangerous to put difficulties 
about Catholic doctrines or devotions before the faithful 

264 



THE MESSENGER OF THE SACRED HEART 

wlio have no doubts. The answer is that of course there 
would be danger if the defender were not thoroughly 
versed both in the matter and in the manner of putting it, 
so that the truth is shown in convincing- light, and this is 
always seen in the choice of the defender. 

''In the dialogue the difficulties are fairly and squarely 
stated, for truth has nothing to fear from the statement of 
its opposing errors, rather they are the shadows that serve 
to throw out in stronger relief the lightsome truth. To the 
objection that a genuine Protestant could possibly state 
more clearly his objections than a Catholic, we reply that 
there is nothing new under the sun, and that any Protestant 
objection has been stated hundreds of times, and as often 
refuted, so that any well-informed Catholic, especially a 
priest, whose business it is to refute error, can readily mas- 
ter the objections and state them fairly. Such dialogues, 
well prepared and well given, would doubtless attract large 
crowds of Catholics and non-Catholics. 

"At the one in Rome of which we are writing, we listened 
with interest to all the objections and refutations, and went 
away strengthened in the faith and in devotion to the 
Mother of God. Of course the pith of all Protestant objec- 
tions to the Rosary is the misconception of the position of 
the Virgin Mother in the divine economy of the Incarna- 
tion. We might go even further and say that that great 
mystery of the Incarnate God is not clearly grasped. Hence 
a confused idea about Christ is common, and consequently 
about His Mother. If the unity of the Person of Christ is 
not understood, and the rights that it conveys to Mary to be 
called the Mother of God, because mother according to the 
flesh of a Divine Person, then we need not wonder that 
Protestants should hesitate or refuse to give Our Lady what 

2G5 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

belongs to her precisely because the God-man called her 
mother. Of course motherhood connotes only the human 
nature, but in Christ this was possessed by a Divine Person. 
The unique privilege of the Blessed Virgin, although rais- 
ing her to a peerless position, still leaves her in the rank of 
creatures, and no instructed Catholic ever did, or ever could, 
give her divine honors, which belong to God alone. 

"A common objection to the Rosary arises from the fact 
that the Hail Mary is repeated ten times to one Our Father. 
This, say the Protestants, proves that Catholics honor the 
Virgin Mary ten times more than God. The difficulty falls 
by its own weight. The Hail Mary is the announcement 
of the Incarnation, and is based entirely on this mystery. It 
begins with the salutation of Elizabeth, whose son, still in 
her womb, felt the power of the Incarnation when sanctified 
at the sound of Mary's voice, and so the Mother of Christ's 
forerunner declares that the 'fruit of Mary's womb is 
blessed,' and marvels that the 'Mother of her Lord' should 
come to her. Then Mary is invoked precisely as Mother of 
God, and so as one having power with her divine Son. The 
honor given to the mother passes on to the son, and the son 
and the mother are inseparable in the divine economy of 
the Incarnation. If the Hail Mary is repeated ten timies, so 
does it ten times glorify both son and mother, even as we 
are taught to do by the Archangel Gabriel and the mother 
of St. John the Baptist, Saint Elizabeth, who were the first 
to utter 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed 
art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy 
womb.' 

"But, argue Protestants, why so many vain repetitions 
at all? Did not Christ positively forbid them? Yes, He 
condemned vain repetitions such as the heathen were wont 

266 



THE MESSENGER OF THE SACRED HEART 

to utter, but assuredly not the heartfelt repeating of inspired 
words full of meaning. In fact, He Himself gave us an 
example of using the same words over and over again when 
He prayed so earnestly during His agony in the Garden of 
Gethsemani. So He by no means forbade repetitions, but 
only vain or empty ones, putting not the matter' but the 
manner under condemnation. Could the meditation of the 
principal mysteries of His own life be displeasing to Him? 
Yet this is what is done in the Rosary. The beautiful fa- 
miliar prayers help to fix the attention on this particular 
phase of the life of Christ under consideration. The lips 
move, the voice is raised, but so too is the mind, and the 
heart is inflamed with devotion. Mystery after mystery in 
the life of the God-man and His Blessed Mother unfolds 
itself as food for meditation and imitation from the joyful 
Annunciation to the Coronation of the same Holy Mary in 
heaven. Through all the stages of His earthly career does 
the pious meditation follow the Divine Master in the joyful, 
sorrowful and glorious mysteries. 

"But why repeat the Our Father and Hail Mary so often? 
One of each well said would be sufficient. Are repetitions 
of assurances of love tedious to the lover's ears? Do they 
ever tire of hearing the same old story over and over again? 
Does it not become all the dearer by the repetition? What 
parent ever wishes his child to cease repeating his pretty 
baby tale of love? So it is with Almighty God, who never 
wearies of our prayers. In truth, was it not Our Lord 
Himself who taught us His prayer and bade us when we 
pray to use it? Did He limit its use to once at a time? If 
not, and He certainly did not, we are free, nay, rather en- 
joined by Him to use it frequently: 'When you pray, say 
Our Father,' and so forth. Thus He gave us a method of 

267 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

prayer, and bade us pray without ceasing. So Catholics, 
consider the Rosary as one of their choicest treasures, and 
it is suited to the wants of all, for it is quite a mistake to 
imagine that it is intended primarily or chiefly for those 
who cannot read, and the educated do not appreciate it. All 
the clerics from our Holy Father, the Pope, down to the 
tonsured, all religious orders and congregations of men and 
women are accustomed to recite the beads daily, and in well 
regulated households it is still the custom to call the 
members of the family together at night to say the Rosary 
in common before retiring. 

"Of late years the Rosary has grown in popularity, 
thanks to the repeated encyclical letters of Leo XIII recom- 
mending its use in general and enjoining it especially during 
the month of October. A very helpful way to recite it in 
private is to insert after the Holy Name the particular mys- 
tery under consideration. For instance, while considering 
the Nativity, to add after the name Jesus 'Who wast born 
of thee a Virgin' ; or on the fourth sorrowful mystery, 'Who 
didst bear the Cross for us.' In this way the meditation is 
much helped. 

"Experience has shown that the Rosary affords a very 
efficient method of public prayer. The variety offered by 
one giving out the beads and the others answering is suffi- 
cient to avoid monotony without being too much of a strain 
on the mind. Of course a mere mechanical recitation should 
be avoided and a reasonable attention given. It will be an 
aid always to say the beads for some particular intention 
which will rouse one's interest, and make one pray as if in 
earnest, and resolved to gain one's petition." 

When the Central Bureau of the Apostleship of Prayer 

268 



I 



THE MESSENGER OF THE SACRED HEART 

was transferred to New York in September, 1894, Father 
Van Rensselaer found himself face to face with the men's 
clubs and associations with which his whole life was to be 
subsequently identified. His occupations in the Apostleship, 
however, prevented him from having anything to do with 
their direction and organization; but at last, after repeated 
solicitations with superiors, his connection with the Apostle- 
ship and the Messenger of the Sacred Heart came to an end. 



269 



CHAPTER XVIIL 
The Xavier Club. 

THE Xavier Club was one of Father Van Rensselaer's 
pet enterprises and the first organization of young 
men founded by him after he had been fairly launched upon 
his work in New York. The idea did not take shape at 
once, but was rather a development, albeit a rapid one. The 
Rev. Theodore Thiry, known to more than one generation 
of New Yorkers as the staunch friend and spiritual guide 
of an almost countless host of boys and men and the founder 
and director of sodalities and societies which accomplished 
untold benefit to thousands, had but recently been summoned 
to his reward. His loss was indeed sorely felt ; many thought 
and said his place could never be filled. This was indeed 
true, but the hand of the Lord was not shortened, and while 
many were still mourning Father Thiry's death a new apos- 
tle of young men was already in the field. 

Father Van Rensselaer first thought of a parish club, and 
as early as 1889 he drew up a list of members who had de- 
clared themselves willing to give him their cordial support. 
The list is still to be seen in manuscript among his papers. 
Discussion and deliberation followed. There were many 
Catholic young men connected with various clubs and so- 
cieties throughout the city, a goodly number of whom had 
been attracted to these organizations through their interest 
or prowess in athletics. Why not gather them all into one 
society, where athletics would be the dominating element? 
So the Xavier Club was started on its long and brilliant 
career. 

270 



THE XAVIER CLUB 

It had no religious obligations connected with its mem- 
bership and for that Father Van Rensselaer was frequently 
taken to task, but in this, as in other matters, the censors 
did not sway him. He had an idea which he followed per- 
sistently, that his personal influence would be powerful 
enough to induce his gymnasts and runners and bowlers to 
perform their religious duties, which perhaps they would 
balk at if they had to acquit themselves of their obligations 
in the presence of others and with a certain amount of 
parade. After all, men are not all made alike, and what 
will suit one will be distasteful to another. But there is no 
doubt that their zealous director did not let them choose 
their own gait or go as they pleased. He followed them un- 
remittingly, to bring them^ back if they strayed, or to keep 
them in the right path if they were faithful. He knew as 
well as anyone else that much may be said on both sides of 
the question of such clubs : that they are not Church asso- 
ciations, that they are detrimental to family life, and the 
like ; but, on the other hand, that they exist by scores outside 
the Church and in surroundings that are professedly antag- 
onistic; wherefore he proposed to take conditions as he 
found them and try to get what good might be obtained by 
such aggregations. Men, especially young men, cannot be 
prevented from entering them, and so he took them at their 
weak point. 

The formal opening of the club took place on December 
10, 1889. Its quarters were at first in a spacious old-fash- 
ioned mansion which various societies connected with St. 
Francis Xavier's had occupied until Father Van Rensselaer 
secured the cooperation of his superiors in carrying out his 
pet project of establishing an association for young men. 
A few years later two adjoining dwellings opposite the col- 

371 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

lege were secured and thoroughly reconstructed for the new 
uses to which they were tO' be put. The new club house was 
the finest and most commodious owned by any parish club 
in New York. In fact, there were many much more pre- 
tentious clubs which were not so handsomely housed. The 
membership was not confined to the parish of St. Francis 
Xavier, however, but included young men from all parts of 
the city. It was distinctly a young men's club, nine-tenths 
of the members being between eighteen and thirty, and was 
restricted to Catholics. The initiation fee was two dollars 
and the dues three dollars a year. 

In the basement, which had a twenty-foot ceiling, there 
was a thoroughly equipped gymnasium, with a suspended 
running track 260 feet in length, four bowling alleys and 
six baths. On the next floor, the parlor, reading-room and 
library were on one side, and on the other a music-room 
seating from four hundred to five hundred people. These 
rooms were beautifully fitted up. The floors were polished, 
the ceilings frescoed and the walls hung with oil paintings, 
water-colors and etchings, while rich rugs covered the floors, 
and mirrors and crystal chandeliers added to the beauty of 
the rooms. The reading-room was supplied with the lead- 
ing newspapers, magazines and periodicals, besides a library 
of about a thousand volumes of standard works. 

On the next floor were a large waiting-room and a card 
room — of course, no gambling was allowed — and on the 
third floor the smoking room, fitted up with lounges, easy 
chairs and other comfortable surroundings. On this floor 
were also several class rooms, where free instruction was 
given in stenography, typewriting, drawing, etc. The whole 
top floor was used as a billiard room and was one of the 

273 



THE XAVIER CLUB 

finest private billiard rooms in the city. It had four billiard 
and four pool tables. 

One large room was given up to the meetings of the 
Literary Society of St. Francis Xavier's parish. This 
society had long enjoyed an enviable reputation for the high 
character of its frequent dramatic performances and literary 
exhibitions. It had been founded many years before by 
Father Thiry, and Father Van Rensselaer now became its 
Moderator. 

The government of the Xavier Club was lodged in a gov- 
erning committee, the power of appointment being vested in 
the Moderator. We get a glimpse of the quiet and perva- 
sive influence of the man at the helm in the following extract 
of a letter from one of the members of the club : 

"Father Van was eminently straight and sincere. He had 
such a way of winning one's confidence that few of the 
}-oung men could come in close contact' with him without 
making a complete manifestation of conscience. I brought 
one of my older brothers to the Xavier Club one night. 
Father Van captured him at once and brought him into his 
office. When the captive came out he remarked : 'A nice 
trick to play on a fellow; he got everything out of me.' 
From that day onward the victim of the trick was his de- 
voted ally.. His characteristics are well known. He moved 
among the young men without making his presence felt and 
at the same time exercised a remarkable influence on them. 
He was one of the crowd rather than the prefect. 

"There was no refusing Father Van Rensselaer when he 
put you to do what was for your good ; indeed, he never 
seemed to expect a refusal. A young man, a new member, 
came into the Club one evening. 'John,' said the Director, 

273 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

'I want you to be a Promoter of the League of the Sacred 
Heart,' and taking hold of me by the shoulder he added: 
'Here's the first of your band.' I say what I know, that 
Promoter did his work afterwards. I got my League leaf- 
lets regularly while I was in the city." 

The enrolment for the Xavier Club steadily rose from a 
few hundred in 1890 to twenty-two hundred in 1893. It 
had its difficult times in the beginning with schism and even 
incipient riot, but the tact of Father Van Rensselaer suc- 
ceeded in aiding it to weather the storms. In the great 
athletic meets of the country its name figures extensively, 
and always at the top of the list. Possibly in these days, 
when the Holy Father has athletic societies show their 
prowess in his presence, such instrumentalities may receive 
a new impetus. 

The most remarkable appearance that "Father Van" ever 
made in public was perhaps in the memorable Columbus 
parade, when the first of the Catholic societies swung into 
line at midday and the last man passed the grandstand at 
one o'clock in the morning. It was night when Father Van 
Rensselaer, on horseback, for he was a good horseman, at 
the head of the Xavier Club, his Deaf Mute Societies, and 
others which he had founded or was active in promoting, 
came into sight. The transparencies, the torches, the roman 
candles, the paraphernalia of the various associations made 
it a notable section of the procession, while the shouts and 
the cheers that greeted the leader gave ample proof of the 
popularity he enjoyed. The men in line responded. There 
was a detachment carrying a banner with the legend that 
they were the Xavier Deaf Mutes. Behind them, not sep- 
arated by a sufficient interval, were some more Xavier 

^74 



THE XAVIER CLUB 

marchers. "Look at the poor deaf mutes and dumb boys," 
exclaimed an old lady; and just then the regulars burst out 
with their club yell : "Hurrah ! Hurrah ! X-A-V-I-E-R ! " 
— "Poor things," she continued, "it's the only consolation 
the deaf mutes have, to hear themselves shout like that." 

In the parade on that occasion the Xavier Club had more 
young men in line than any other single organization, and 
the fine showing made by them and their co-religionists 
drew forth at the time the following spirited editorial from 
the New York Sun: — 

"The Roman Catholic parade on Tuesday night was a 
demonstration of great interest and significance. It is not 
remarkable that many thousands of those devoted to that 
faith were in the long line, and that Fifth avenue was 
crowded with applauding spectators, for the Roman Church 
comprises in its fold the great majority of the Christian 
believers of New York. The impressiveness and the deep 
significance of the parade came from the fact that nearly 
all those who took part in it were young men. 

"At this period it is assumed ia many quarters that reli- 
gious skepticism is prevalent, among the younger genera- 
tion more especially, whether Catholic or Protestant. The 
sons are said to be falling away from the faith of the fathers 
and feminine devotion is described as chiefly active in keep^ 
ing alive the flame of religious belief. The descendants of 
Roman Catholic immigrants are supposed to have shaken 
off their ancient faith in a large measure, to have become 
comparatively indifferent to it, and to' have passed beyond 
the power of priestly control. 

"To some extent, doul)tless, this is true. The Roman 

275 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Catholic Church needs to- make strenuous and persistent 
efforts to keep its hold on the children of its spiritual house- 
hold Who come hither from Europe. But that the diversion 
from its ranks was not important was demonstrated by this 
remarkable parade of many thousands of young men. The 
recent Christian Endeavor Convention showed that among 
young Protestants also, the incursions of skepticism have 
not been as serious as they seemed superficially. 

"The circumstance that these Roman Catholic youth and 
young men came out in numbers so vast, proudly proclaim- 
ing their faith to the world, proved the ardor and intensity 
of their loyalty to the Church. They glory in being Roman 
Catholics and bearing banners and wearing insignia which 
make known to the multitude that they are unquestioning 
in their religious allegiance and aggressive in behalf of the 
doctrines of the Church of Rome. 'Church and Country,' 
was the motto borne aloft by one of the societies, and it is 
the motto of them all and their inspiring watchword. First 
and foremost they count their spiritual citizenship; but that 
their patriotic allegiance is enthusiastic also, they showed 
by bearing and wearing the national colors as loyal citizens 
of the republic. 

"When young men are thus eager to turn out in multi- 
tudes to manifest their fidelity to the Roman Catholic 
Church and their subjection to its spiritual sway, one of the 
secrets of its increasing power in this country is revealed. 
The parade of Tuesday evening showed how deep the faith 
of its followers is, and how ardent is their devotion to it, 
though it makes no compromise with the modern spirit of 
unbelief, but adheres the more stoutly and inflexibly to the 
ancient dogmas rejected by the contemporary skepticism, 
which denies all supernatural religion whatsoever. 

376 



r 



41 



THE XAVIER CLUB 

'The religious sentiment is still the dominant force in the 
world, and never in all history was it more passionate than 
to-day." 

The members of the Xavier Club will not forget what 
they owe to their founder and director. As a memorial of 
their esteem they donated $2,000 to found a scholarship 
under his name in St. Francis Xavier's College. 



277 



CHAPTER XIX. 
Various Works of Zeal. 

THE motive that actuated Father Van Rensselaer in es- 
tabhshing the Xavier Club naturally led him to be an 
ardent supporter of the movement endorsed by the St. Vin- 
cent de Paul Society to form boys' and girls' clubs. Here 
again the old objection was made: "Why not keep these 
boys and girls at home?" The answer was, they were not 
at home, they were on the street ; and besides, that wealthy 
Protestant churches of the city were sweeping them in by 
thousands, amusing them, instructing them, getting them 
situations, and weaning themi from the Church. Perhaps 
by showing an interest in them they might be drawn away 
from proselytizing influences and ultimately induced to 
spend their evenings at home, though the tenement house 
conditions of New York made that a difficult proposition, 
to deal with. The front stoops and entries have their draw- 
backs as well as club rooms, and so' he gave the movement 
his hearty support. 

Shortly after the founding of the Xavier Club, Father 
Van Rensselaer also started a club for working girls, the 
Notre Dame Club. This flourished for a while, and many 
ladies were interested in it. At the time of his departure 
for the tertianship, the interest in the club diminished and 
it finally passed out of existence. 

The Religious of the Sacred Heart conducted a club for 
girls after the school was removed from the Convent on 
Seventeenth Street. When the house was finally sold and 
the nuns left the neig*hborhood, the club was left homeless. 

278 



VARIOUS WORKS OF ZEAL 

Later Father Van Rensselaer was instrumental in securing 
quarters for it in the house adjoining the Nazareth Nursery 
and the charge of the girls was assumed by the Children of 
Mary, who are affiliated with the Religious of the Sacred 
Heart. It was then called the Caritas Club, and continues 
its good work in the same home which was provided by 
Fa:ther Van Rensselaer. 

It is almost like a contradiction to find this unwearied 
apostle of men interested in babies. Connected as he was 
with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, he knew the needs of 
the poor and saw the advantage of a Day Nursery where 
poor mothers who had to go out to work could leave their 
little ones to be cared for. He therefore induced some of 
his wealthy acquaintances tO' pay the expenses of a few 
trained nurses, and then he went around begging for house- 
furnishings and food. One friend promised a daily supply 
of milk, another of bread, another of sugar; and though 
the Day Nursery was started in 1901, the supplies thus 
generously furnished have continued uninterruptedly till, this 
day. A store of drugs was also contributed to be used by 
the sick poor. The nursery finally passed into the hands 
of the Sisters of Charity, and one of Father Van Rensse- 
laer's last works was to secure a house next to the convent 
to give a permanent abiding place for the benevolent work. 

In one instance of which we have been told, and doubtless 
it is but one of many, he went himself to take the children 
of a sick woman tO' the Nursery, that they might have the 
happiness of going to the country with other little ones for 
a two weeks' holiday. He carried the little baby in his arms 
and tenderly led the two others, who could scarcely walk 
without his helping hand. At the end of the two weeks he 
restored the children to their sick mother. 

279 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

As was to be expected of a zealous man, he was most 
resourceful in the cause of charity. In 1894 his sister had 
charge of Seton Hospital for consumptives, which at that 
time had no allowance from the city and no means of sup- 
porting free patients. He at once organized an association 
to collect money for so deserving an object. He called it 
appropriately the "Hospitallers of Christ." There was a 
pretty bad^e and rich spiritual benefits for the members. 
The motto was : "The Charity of Christ Presseth Us." He 
did not stop there, but interested in the work some of his 
faithful friends in the Fire Department, who every month 
brought in the contributions which they had collected for 
the Hospitallers, thus aiding in the support of many con- 
sumptives among the poor. 

Father Van Rensselaer was one of the first to take up the 
work of the Catholic seamen. He had Promoters of the 
League of the Sacred Heart on the different liners that came 
into port, and they were so zealous in their work that it was 
not an unusual thing, when a vessel was docked, to find 
"Father Van's" spiritual auxiliary, the Promoter, leading 
to St. Francis Xavier's Church as many as fifty oilers, stok- 
ers and sailors to go to confession and receive Holy Com- 
munion. This went on until the diocese took up the work 
and appointed a permanent chaplain to look after the sea- 
men. 

We have before us the list of Promoters which he care- 
fully kept, dating back to 1896, the year in which the Sea- 
men's Reading Room was established. There is a letter 
written on the S.S. Campania, November 30, 1896, and 
signed by four seamen, three of whom are found on Father 
Van Rensselaer's list. They are thanking Father McCor- 
mick, their new Director, for the efforts made in their 

280 



VARIOUS WORKS OF ZEAL 

behalf, but they do not forget their old friend. It is worth 
giving in full : 

''S.S. Campania^ 

"November 30, 1896. 
''Rev. Father McCormick: 

**We, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the Greasers, 
Firemen and Trimmers on the above steamer, fully realize 
the endeavor made by the Committee of the Catholic Read- 
ing Room to make our stay in New York as comfortable 
as possible, both spiritually and socially, and ask you to 
convey to them our sincere thanks, accompanied by the en- 
closed amount, being the result of a collection, of nine 
pounds, fourteen shillings, and to assure them of our love, 
respect and gratitude. We also desire to thank Rev. Father 
Van Rensselaer for the kindness he has always shown 
towards us. Trusting, Rev. Father, that you will accept 
this as a sincere token of the love and the reverence we feel 
towards yourself and the Committee, we are, Rev. Father, 
"Sincerely yours, 

"Joseph Harrington^ 
"John Dixon, 
"James Ashe, 
"John Roche. 
"Signed in behalf of the Greasers, Firemen and Trimmers." 

The Fathers of St. Francis Xavier's in New York have 
for many years carried on a mission among the Deaf Mutes. 
Father Costin, as early as 1869, had learned the language 
in the Deaf Mute Institute at Fordham; Father Freeman 
succeeded him and went regularly to the city to teach the 
silent brethren, whom he had contrived to gather together, 

281 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

in the college hall; and so it went on from year to year, 
several of the Fathers being- able to converse in the sign 
language. On any Sunday at the present time you may see 
a group of sign-makers engaged in active conversation out- 
side the College door after the congregation is dismissed. 
Besides the union for strictly apostolic work, various liter- 
ary, benevolent and dramatic associations had also been 
organized among them. The dramatic element asserted itself 
frequently, and every year theatrical representations of gor- 
geously costumed five-act dramas were given before large 
audiences which talked incessantly across the hall to people 
in the opposite seats without, however, causing any audible 
disturbance. The acting was, of course, all pantomime, but 
most artistically performed, affording continual pleasure to 
the eye. Some one behind the scenes interpreted meantime 
for the afflicted part of the audience who could hear, but 
could not understand. 

This dramatic association and most of the others had for 
one reason or another been disrupted, and the deaf-mutes 
were held together only by the bond of their religious neces- 
sities. But the Good Samaritan came in the person of 
Father Van Rensselaer. He did not know a word of the 
sign language, but in some mysterious way he succeeded in 
binding up the wounds of the various organizations, set 
them on their feet again, gave them' the wine and oil of his 
advice, and all are now rejoicing in their former vigor. The 
glory of this resurrection is accorded by the present Direc- 
tor of Deaf-mutes to Father Van Rensselaer. Indeed, the 
various societies themselves convened after his death and 
framed a set of resolutions which they published in all the 
local Catholic papers. 

Such was the character of his work. He never waited to 

283 



VARIOUS WORKS OF ZEAL 

be approached. He was out hunting for souls and always 
acting in obedience to the command : Compelle intrare. He 
was called long distances to visit the sick beds of the timid 
or obdurate, and it was a common thing for sinners who 
were not sick to be sent to him, "for he was easy with men." 
One poor fellow had been induced by his friends to go 
down to see him, and so one night while ''Father Van" was 
seated in his ccfnfessional he saw the newcomer nervously 
going about studying the names on the confessionals. He 
was on the point of giving up, not finding the one for which 
he was looking. His spiritual agitation had driven it out 
of his mind. Father Van Rensselaer came out to help him : 
"Are you looking for anybody in particular?" "I am," 
said the other. "Well, what is his name?" "I don't know; 
Fve forgotten it. Maybe it was Kelleher or Kinsella, or 
something like that." As Kelleher and Kinsella were near 
enough to Rensselaer, he had evidently found his man, or 
his man had found him, and it took but a short time to put 
the best robe on the poor shamefaced prodigal. 

It was not, however, for the ordinary sinner that he felt 
an attraction. He sought the most abandoned ones, visited 
them in prisons, and stood with them on the scaffold, al- 
though his almost feminine aversion for anything shocking 
or ghastly prompted him to avoid that kind of work. He 
was a constant visitor to the cell of Carlyle Harris at Sing 
Sing, and succeeded in making him a Catholic before he 
was executed. 

Were a visitor at the College of St. Francis Xavier to 
glance at one of the parlors on any Wednesday night, he 
would see it crowded with men of all conditions. In the 
midst of them sat Father Van Rensselaer. He was pre- 
paring them for baptism. He kept up the work year in and 

283 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

year out; new groups taking the place of the old ones. How 
many men he thus brought to the Faith we have no means 
of determining at the present moment, but the persistency 
with which he continued the exacting labor, even when 
suffering from the ailment which finally carried him off, is 
worthy of all praise. Of course his work lives after him, 
and this class of instruction for converts is continued after 
the methods which he adopted. • 



284 



I 



CHAPTER XX. 
In the Ministry. 

THE casual observer would not have imagined that 
Father Van Rensselaer was the kind of a person that 
men of all classes would take to. He was tall, handsome, 
refined, well-built, well set up ; a most presentable man in 
many ways, indeed, but there was nothing of the hail-fellow 
well-met in him. He was not expansive, hearty, jovial, 
witty, and he lacked many of the qualities that make for 
companionship and sociability. Indeed, he was rather fem- 
inine in his general ways and manner of approach, but he 
was undeniably a favorite. His refusal tO' undertake the 
direction of women, his evident desire to win men to the 
practice of religion, and his unsparing labor in pursuit of 
that end alwa3^s assured him a welcome, and made success 
a foregone conclusion. His boldness in accosting men of all 
conditions of life,' even total strangers wherever or when- 
ever he met them, on the street, in the cars, on steamboats, 
in stores, in social gatherings, was at times startling, and 
one would fancy exposed him to insults and rebuke for 
what might seem his meddlesome officiousness ; but he does 
not seem to have met with any such rebuffs. Perhaps his 
very boldness in inquiring so abruptly and so audaciously 
about a man's spiritual condition or religious belief, took 
from the individual he addressed the power of making what 
would have been thought the natural reply. 

A careful study of the man and his methods leads to the 
conclusion that laying aside the supernatural influence of 

285 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

grace which always aids the zealous priest in his quest of 
souls, the key to Father Van Rensselaer's success with men 
is to be found in his personal interest in every one he under- 
took to help or to convert. It was very gratifying for one 
to be able to look upon this noble priest as a personal friend. 
One could not help believing that such was the case when 
he saw that the interest of his spiritual guide never flagged. 
Meet him once and you knew him or rather he knew you 
forever. Years of absence did not obliterate the casual ac- 
quaintance from his memory. He could always begin the 
conversation where it was broken off at the last meeting. 
He was ready with an inquiry about health or family or 
employment, always winding up with a reference to the care 
of the man's soul. 

The success of some leaders among men is often attrib- 
uted tO' their wonderful power of recalling names or faces. 
With such a memory was "Father Van" gifted to a re- 
markable degree. He rarely missed a name, and it was 
usually by the familiar Christian name Tom or John or 
Mike that he addressed them. It was a familiarity that in- 
creased confidence, but never lessened respect. 

The method of appointing a day and hour to meet him 
at the rectory was another effective way of capturing his 
qmrry. An entry in his diary like the following shows how 
he worked: "Andy M. Fireman, Friday at 2, and two 
policemen." He was well aware that true conversion means 
a complete change of heart, and he employed all the re- 
sourcefulness of his wide and varied experience to help him 
to move the will of the most hardened. Some one said that 
it was not safe for a sinner to be three minutes in his com- 
pany. An instance or two may illustrate this. 

On one occasion he was assisting at a mission in the 

^86 



I 



IN THE MINISTRY 

parish of a distinguished and zealous pastor who was con- 
spicuous in the attention that both he and his curates gave 
to their flock. One morning the barber came to the house 
for the usual exercise of his skill. Father Van Rensselaer 
took his turn in the chair, and before the operation was fin- 
ished he found that the man with the razor and brush was 
a lapsed Catholic who had been some years away from his 
duty. Getting him to confession was, of course, easy, and 
to the astonishment of the worthy pastor, who tells the story 
himself, the man who had been so close to him for so long 
a time, and whose spiritual condition he never even sus- 
pected, was made suddenly, by an outsider, a devout mem- 
ber of the parish. 

Another example may be quoted as illustrative of this 
rapidity of apostolic work. Standing at the grave of the 
father of one of his devoted friends, he said something or 
other to the husbands of two of the mourners, and discov- 
ered what he had not known before, that they were not 
Catholics. Possibly the earth falling on the coffin gave 
point to his words, but at all events, there in the cemetery, 
before the homeward procession left the gates, the conver- 
sion of the two men began, and to the delight of every one 
they were shortly afterwards baptized, and have ever since 
proved excellent Catholics. What gives point to the inci- 
dent is that there was a priest in the family, a close relative 
of the two men who were so expeditiously transferred to the 
Lord's household. 

Suavity and gentleness usually characterized his inter- 
course with others, but there were times when something 
akin to rudeness appeared in his manner of dealing with 
men which came like a shock to the chance observer. 

A member of a theatrical company, a man long negligent 

387. 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

of his religious duties, paid him a visit one day, persuaded, 
no doubt, by some one in the troupe, for the friends of 
Father Van Rensselaer were everywhere. The priest took 
his visitor into the fine church and then into the sacristy, 
where he showed him the rich vestments and the sanctuary 
treasures. It was a commendable device, adopted doubtless 
in order to bring into the presence of his Maker one who 
had not been inside a sacred edifice for many years. He 
was shown even some of the precious vessels which the 
priest took from the massive safe where they are kept for 
greater security when not in use. The visitor was so 
charmed with the beauty of a gold chalice studded with 
precious stones that in a moment of abstraction he stretched 
out his hand to touch it. As he did so he received from 
Father Van Rensselaer a smart blow on the back of his 
hand. 

The blow was so severe that the narrator seemed to feel 
the pain of it when telling the story long aftei:. He turned 
to "Father Van" with a look of expostulation, but \\^^:s so 
astounded that for the moment he said nothing. ''Don't 
you know that a layman is not allowed tO' handle a conse- 
crated vessel of the altar?" Well, he had not known it, but 
the blow drove the lesson home. He apologized for the 
unintentional irreverence, and perhaps the shame and con- 
fusion he felt brought with it the grace of sorrow and re- 
pentance. Certainly before leaving he made his reconcilia- 
tion with God through the Sacrament of Penance, became a 
frequent communicant and has remained so ever since. 

An actress once came to Father Van Rensselaer. Per- 
haps it was a friendly visit; more likely it was with the 
intention of beginning a sadly" needed reformation. He 
would not hear her confession, but advised her to go to some 

288 



I 



IN THE MINISTRY 

one else. Before dismissing her, however, he said : ''There 
are many Cathohc young women on the stage, and some of 
them doubtless you meet from time to time, do you not? 
Well, I wish you to gather as many as you can into the 
Apostleship of Prayer. Tell them about the morning offer- 
ing and see that they get their leaflet every month. Don't 
be too aggressive, for you may overdo and thus spoil your 
work." This person became a most exemplar}^ Catholic and 
to-day exercises a commendable apostolate among women. 

Down in one of the Southern States bordering on the 
Gulf of ^Mexico is the foreman of a gang of miners 
(workers in iron) — he is a model to his men and all look 
up to him with respect. He attends ]\Iass daily and is a 
frequent communicant. Father Van Rensselaer met him 
years ago on one of the tug-boats in the harbor of New 
York and coaxed him to go to confession. It was for him 
the beginning of a new life. 

]\Iany a time was Father Van Rensselaer sent for from 
different parts of the city to visit men who had neglected 
their religion, perhaps for years, and who on their death- 
beds refused to see any other priest than "Father Van." He 
always found the way to win their souls. 

Two hundred miles from New York two pious women 
lived with their old father, who had long neglected his 
church. They heard of the New York priest and of his zeal 
and success with men. Without any misgiving they under- 
took the journey to the distant city and asked their father 
to accompany them. The result was what they anticipated. 
Not only was the sinner reconciled after the carelessness 
and indifference of twenty years, but on returning to his 
home lie was constantly singing the praises of ''Father 
Van," as "one of the grandest men God ever made." 

289 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

What impression, one may ask, did Father Van Rens- 
selaer make on the stranger, one, for example who' came to 
New York from a distance and casually saw him or heard 
him preach ? The following letter from one who lives many 
miles from New York may help us to know : 

"I, of course, often heard of Father Van Rensselaer, but 
never saw him until a few years ago, when I, was in New 
York and went one Sunday to the high Mass at St. Francis 
Xavier's, and heard a sermon preached after the dreadful 
Slocum disaster. I was so' deeply impressed by it, as well 
as by the priest who preached it, that at the door I asked 
who he was. I never heard more devotion or feeling in a 
voice than in his who answered me, 'That's our Father 
Van.' Two years ago, seeing a funeral at the church, I went 
in for the Mass and afterward Father Van came down and 
stood in the vestibule. I was impelled to go and speak to 
him, and have never forgotten his cordiality nor his beau- 
tiful smile as he answered my questions. I read in the paper 
of his attack last spring and watched carefully for news of 
him. His death was really a shock to me and my eyes are 
full of tears as I am writing, as they have been many times 
since I read of his death." 

Father Van Rensselaer's mother often made her son the 
agent of her charity. Making the round of parish visits, 
he came upon an exquisitely clean little woman who lived in 
a rear tenement. She was quilting industriously and Father 
Van asked her how much she could make at the work. She 
told him that by working steadily all day she earned a 
dollar and a half a Aveek, and that after paying her rent she 
had but one dollar left for food for the month. From that 

290 



IN THE MINISTRY 

day the rent was paid by Mrs. Van Rensselaer, and when 
the latter died ten years later the charity was continued in 
her memory by one of her daughters. 

Two poor old women sisters lived alone in one of the 
crowded tenement houses of the parish. Apart from the 
help given them by Mrs. Van Rensselaer they had no means 
of support. One day a neighbor called to see them and 
found Father Van in his shirtsleeves preparing tea for his 
charges, who were both sick abed. It was a very emphatic 
way of teaching a lesson to the other tenants of the house, 
and once the story got out, the good old people received 
every attention from the neighbors. Again, he was dis- 
covered on his knees scrubbing the floor of a little kitchen 
of one of his poor parishioners who lay sick in a room ad- 
joining. Dirt and disease had no terrors for the good 
priest, who ministered just as lovingly to the sick in unclean 
surroundings as to those who were clean and cared for by 
relatives. 

A New York society woman, one day talking with Father 
Van Rensselaer, made a flippant and somewhat irreverent 
remark about the screen which divides the priest and peni- 
tent in the confessional. Father Van Rensselaer adminis- 
tered a severe reproof, and his reproof made such an im- 
pression that, in memory of Father Van Rensselaer, she has 
ordered a handsome confessional to be made after a special 
design for the new Spanish church uptown. She is not yet 
a Catholic. 

One day Father Van Rensselaer was seen on Sixth Ave- 
nue with two men who were very drunk. He took them to 
a drug store. Some one asked him about it in joke; he 
blushed and said that the two men were freight handlers in 
the Lackawanna yards and it was their off day. Temptation 

291 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

had overtaken them and they had spent all their money In 
a saloon. He was taking them to a drug store tO' give them 
each a dose of bromide to straighten them up so that they 
might be fit to report for work and not lose their jobs. To 
make sure of this, he sent a man down to the yards with 
them. 

In these and countless other instances of his charity 
known to the recording angel only, one is forcibly reminded 
of St. Paul, who appealed to the clergy of Ephesus as he 
was bidding them a sad farewell, "for they should see his 
face no more." To them he recounted in general the good 
example he had ever given and he was able to add, "such 
things as were needful for me and for them that are with 
me, these hands have furnished. I have showed you all 
things, that so laboring you ought to support the weak and 
to remember the word of the Lord Jesus, who said : It is a 
more blessed thing to give than to receive." 

On his way home from a sick call between one and two 
o'clock in the morning, he saw a light in an upper window 
and started to investigate. He must have known the house 
and the residents of the parish very well, for he had no 
hesitation in climbing the long flights of stairs until he 
reached the room. He found there a man, one of his 
parishioners, dangerously ill and without attendance. His 
visit seemed miraculous, it was so unexpected and timely. 
The explanation was simple : the good priest was like the 
Good Shepherd, ever w^atching over his flock. No wonder 
that the loss of this devoted priest has been so deeply felt, 
and that the poor of St. Francis Xavier's parish hold him in 
tender and loving remembrance. 

Here is a story of two of his tramps, one of. them a 
Protestant. They were "pals" and had been so for many 

292 



IN THE MINISTRY 

« 
years, and "Father Van" was their sole friend. He had a 

hard time keeping them straight, in fact, he can hardly be 
said ever to have succeeded. But no matter how often they 
fell into bad ways and broke the pledge as soon as they 
sobered up they were back to the priest, knowing they de- 
served reproof, but certain of a word of encouragement 
from the tramps' friend. More than once they came to him 
at night, especially during a severe winter when they were 
out of work ; he saw that they had comfortable lodging for 
the night and enough money, provided it was not used for 
drink, to keep them from starving. His last kind service 
was to get them work in a lumber camp in Maine, and it 
was from this engagement they had just returned to New 
York, when one of them blurted out this story. For six 
months they had not touched a drop of liquor, not owing to 
any drastic enforcement of the prohibition State, but rather 
through fidelity to the last pledge taken from "Father Van." 
A month before thev reached New York their indulsrent 
patron had been laid to rest. On their arrival in the city, 
not having learned of his death, they made at once for 
St. Francis Xavier's with all the bright expectations of 
a happy meeting. Judge of their surprise and grief when 
they heard that he was no more. Their only consolation 
was a visit to the little cemetery at Fordham and a prayer 
and a sob over his grave. 

To ask how Father Van Rensselaer, with the multiplicity 
of his engagements, was able to visit many hospitals far 
apart at the petition of patients, who were either acquainted 
with him personally or thought of him in time of suffering 
or when death was impending, is to seek to understand how 
a man of zeal can do more than the ordinary worker. Where 
there's a will there's a way, is as true of the spiritual activ- 

293 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

ities of a priest as of anything else. The New York Hos- 
pital was only a stone's throw from St. Francis Xavier's, 
and naturally it was there that his fruitful ministry in be- 
half of the sick was more frequently exercised. Father 
Van Rensselaer was not persona grata with the officials of 
that institution, though he had two relatives on the board 
of directors, and Dr. Delafield, physician to the hospital, 
was his brother-in-law. One might suppose that this would 
have given him' an entree denied to others. Not so; the 
discipline of the hospital was to be strictly maintained; 
it helped to order and efficiency. No Catholic would be 
denied the comiforts of his religion, but on the other hand 
no priest would be admitted except at the request of the 
patient. Were the rule rigidly enforced many a soul 
would be lost, for frequently the patient is not aware of 
the serious nature of his illness, perhaps has only occa- 
sional moments oi consciousness, or his friends are apa- 
thetic or fear to alarm him, with the consequence that the 
priest is never summoned or comes when his services 
are of doubtful or no avail. Even when there is no imme- 
diate danger of death, how often are the kind words of the 
minister of Christ the instrument that sets in motion all the 
wonderful machinery of God's saving grace. Father Van 
Rensselaer chafed under the restrictions set by the hospital 
officials, especially that regulation which allowed him to 
help only the patient who had sent for him. In this hos- 
pital a young man — we had better call him "a Bowery 
boy" — quite friendless and alone, was lying ill on one of 
the cots provided for such cases. He was unwilling to 
call for a priest, rather he never thought of doing so, for 
though baptized in infancy he had drifted away with the 
children of the slums, one of the strays who had escaped 

294 



If 



IN THE MINISTRY • 

Father Drumgoole's net. If he had received his first Holy 
Communion it was the only religious influence which had 
entered into his life. A good Catholic woman, who on the 
score of friendship was admitted to see him, placed a cru- 
cifix at the foot of his bed which the dying man might see, 
hoping that the sight of the emblem of salvation might sug- 
gest a pious thought or aspiration from the lips, or better 
still, from the heart of the sufferer. Shortly after the Good 
Samaritan in the person of "Father Van" passed that way. 
That day he had been summoned to a patient, and having 
attended to his charge, he was on his way out. The sight 
of the crucifix attracted his attention, and in that instant he 
forgot all about the rules. "What's your name?" he said. 
"Chimmie Quinn." The priest took his chair and drew near 
the bed. He laid his hand on that of the sick lad and said : 
"Put it there, Chimmie; now you and I are going to be 
friends," and they w^ere friends forthwith. The rest w^as 
easy. The priest soon won his confidence and after hearing 
the story of the lad's life, seeing no immediate danger, he 
departed, with a promise he would soon come again. 
Later the friend who had left the crucifix came to inquire 
about the condition of the sufferer and heard from 
the nurse that he had only a few hours to live. She hastened 
to summon Father Van Rensselaer. The church was only 
a few steps away. She found him hearing confessions, for 
it was Saturday, and as usual his confessional was sur- 
rounded by young men and old, policemen, letter-carriers, 
firemen, many in their respective uniforms, waiting for 
their favorite, much beloved "Father Van." The priest 
hurried to the hospital, which he reached in time to give 
the consolations of religion to the repentant sinner. A 
little group soon gathered and knelt at Jim's bedside, and 

295 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

when he breathed his last "Father Van" took his place 
among them. "A great wave of peace seemed to hover 
over the living as well as the dead" as they said the De Pro- 
fnndis and murmured a Reqidescat in Pace for Jinvs 
soul. 

One day when he was in the Confessional a man came to 
him and said : ''Father, I am a Protestant, but I am in great 
trouble. I have heard of you, although I am a stranger in 
the city, and I thought you would help me." He had a 
good position on the Isthmus and was going back to his 
family, who lived in a neighboring city. He had quite a 
sum of money when he arrived in New York, but falling 
into the hands of sharpers had lost it all. He had no 
money to get home. Father Van Rensselaer said: "I 
have nothing to give you here. Go to a clergyman of your 
own church and see what he will do for you." He gave 
the man a little change for a night's lodging, and he went 
off. The following day he reappeared at the College and 
said : ''I went to the clergyman and he referred me to the 
Charity Organization Society to have my case investigated, 
but when I found I had tO' give my name and antecedents, 
bringing disgrace upon a respectable family, I came away 
and back to you." He brought letters which confirmed the 
truth of his story, but one of them showed that he was a 
Free Mason. "Why not apply to them," Father Van Rens- 
selaer said, "they are bound to help a brother in distress." 
"So they are," the man replied, "but the report would be 
sent on to my Lodge, and I should be disgraced in the eyes 
of all my associates, and I assure you this is my first of- 
fence." The priest could no longer resist, he took him to a 
friend, a private detective, to whom he gave money to re- 
lease his trunk and buy a railroad ticket. He saw him safely 

290 



IN THE MINISTRY 

on the train. The next week Father Van Rensselaer re- 
ceived a most grateful letter saying that when the man 
reached home and his wife and son, a young lad, greeted 
him, he felt what a blessing it was to have saved them from 
the pang of knowing his disgrace. However, he never re- 
turned the money as he had promised. 



^^\n 



CHAPTER XXL 
Rocky ^Mountain jMission. 

FATHER VAN RENSSELAER as we have seen, had 
for man}^ years ambitioned the hardships and priva- 
tions of the missionary Hfe, especially among the Indians of 
the North- West. Perhaps he felt called upon to interest 
others in a work from which he himself was debarred, and 
to send as many substitutes to that field as possible. Be that 
as it may, several young men whom he met in New York 
and elsewhere with an aptitude for such work were encour- 
aged by him to offer themselves for the Indian missions, and 
the way for their acceptance by the superiors was made easy. 
Most of them are now ordained and at present all are en- 
gaged in the Rocky Mountain Mission, which to-day forms 
a part of the Province of California. 

One of these proteges writes of Father Van Rensselaer's 
recruits in the far West : "How did we come to know him 
and what information can we give of him and of ourselves? 
A\ ere we together to write an answer to these questions, we 
could add no doubt some interesting details for a chapter, 
and we should attempt it with a willing heart, for it would 
be indeed a work of love. But since the mission to which 
he offered himself and to which he directed us has been 
united with California and grown into a Province, we are 
very far apart. I fear we shall never be able to put into 
w^ords how much we esteemed him. We would rather live 
it. Could we form a consensus of opinion on his best qual- 
ities, one of our number might transmit it to you in the 

298 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN MISSION 

language of the Cheyennes, another in that of the Crows, 
but hundreds of miles separate those whom he sent over the 
continent to do God's work. It is now twenty years and 
longer for some of us, since he showed the way, pointing- 
westward, and I think I can safely say, speaking for myself 
I cerainly can, that in those years there has never been a 
moment's regret for having followed his direction. God's 
outstretched arm is visible everywhere. On our great days, 
such as the occasion of our religious vows. Father Van's 
word came, glowing as we knew it, from his great heart; 
it was a brief word such as a busy man might write, but it 
came to congratulate and encourage. I do not suppose he 
ever knew how much that word was talked of and appre- 
ciated in the land of the Cceur d'Alene Indians in Idaho, 
where we spent the first years of religious life. We might 
have voiced our appreciation in Kalispel — we were studying 
the language — but we used English; for, needless to state, 
we found it much easier. 

''Our Indians, as you are aware, are dwindling in num- 
bers and disappearing. The remnant is being crowded out 
by the whites year after year; their lands, bought by the 
Government for a nominal sum, are being apportioned off 
to new-coming white settlers. The poor redman, who' once 
possessed all this country and counted as his own the game 
of forest and plain, as well as the fish of our lakes and 
rivers, is, to all appearances doomed. The Fathers of our 
Society are doing everything possible in a spiritual way for 
the disinherited survivors; the oldest missionaries both 
Fathers and Brothers, who came in pioneer days to a life 
of hardship and sacrifice, having reaped a rich harvest of 
souls, are now almost all gone to possess the Kingdom 
everlasting with their red-skin children. Our work for the 

299 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

future will be more for the paleface than for his swarthy 
brother. Indeed, I believe that, had our good 'Father Van' 
been permitted to come to the Rockies, as he volunteered, he 
would have been assigned to a post among the whites where 
he could do most good. He was not permitted; he had a 
larger and more fruitful field in New York, where he la- 
bored and died. Heaven has gained more souls and we are 
not complaining because Superiors saw fit to keep him. 

"Odd as the appellation may seem at our age, we are 
proud to class ourselves still among 'Father Van's boys.' 
In the northern part of the State of Washington there is 
one of our number in charge of a Central Mission, whence 
our priests minister to Indians and whites at points some of 
them one hundred and fifty miles distant. Another in the 
centre of the State is engrossed in the education of the 
young men of a thriving city. While still another is at 
work in his own quiet way where Puget Sound gives Alaska 
and the Orient a waterway to Seattle, the most thriving 
city of the growing North- West. One is at college work in 
San Francisco, another in the cure of souls in a beautiful 
town amid the vineyards of California; still another is Su- 
perior of a Mission Station for Indians and whites in Mon- 
tana; the writer is doing his little best in a college class- 
room, and there are others elsewhere. But wherever they 
be one and all at the mention of 'Father Van's' name will 
forget for a while the troubles and cares of a busy life and 
the coldness of an indifferent world and receive from the 
remembrance of their great brother Jesuit fresh inspiration 
and renewed courage to emulate his zeal for souls and his 
indefatigable energy in working for the greater glory of 
God." 

Another of these missionaries writes in January, 1911 : 

300 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN MISSION 

''As I look back over my years and see the wonderful provi- 
dence of God in my regard, I feel forced to acknowledge 
that I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Father Van Rens- 
selaer as being the instrument chosen by God's designs. He 
had a magnanimity of character that never suspected the 
dispositions and never questioned the intentions of men, but 
sought out only their best qualities ; he had a personal mag- 
netism that came not from^ mere good nature, but from a 
certain natural grace of manner joined to lofty aspirations 
and a supernatural tact for drawing men to piety and 
making them submit, despite all difficulties, to the sweet 
voke of Christ." 



301 



CHAPTER XXII. 

New York's ''Finest'' and Others. 

EVERY St. Patrick's Day for several years the crowds 
that Hned Fifth Avenue in New York were treated 
to a surprise, and the surprise came regularly. Mounted 
on a spirited horse, which he managed superbly no matter 
how it capered, sat smiiling and serene a black-coated, 
Roman-collared chaplain, who' was clearly a popular favor- 
ite. He was, as every one saw, not a Celt, and yet there he 
was at the head of the Second Division of the Ancient 
Order of Hibernians. It was "Father Van," and his ap- 
pearance was a signal for applause and clapping of hands, 
waving of hats and flags and handkerchiefs. What right 
had he to be there? Not much in the way of a racial claim, 
it is true, though there were Protestants in his family, and 
they were Irish, and that, besides his own personality, was 
enough to give him a passport to his rather anomalous 
position as chaplain of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 
and to be one of the notable figures in the St. Patrick's Day 
parade. 

Of course it was by some commented upon, criticized, 
and condemned. Was it not mere posturing and pretense, 
and a bid for notice and popularity? His friends often told 
him that such things were being said of him, and those who 
were not friendly let him' know of it sometimes in unkindly 
ways. But Father Van Rensselaer was singularly impervi- 
ous to uncharitable remarks, or. even to harsh disapproval or 
denunciation, when the censors were self-appointed, if he 

302 



NEW YORK'S "FINEST" AND OTHERS 

knew he was right. He would smile at them gently, per- 
haps his lip would threaten to curl a bit, but usually he 
would not reply. 

He knew that his Hibernians not only believed in him, 
but were fond of him, so he kept right on his course. 

We find an expression of this esteem in a notice taken 
from a local Irish paper on the occasion of his funeral, and 
which, therefore, cannot be suspected of flattery. It is per- 
fervid at times as becomes the Celt, but it is all the better 
for that. 

'Tather Van Rensselaer was a remarkable figure, which 
once seen would not easily be forgotten. Standing over six 
feet, handsome and broad-shouldered, he was distinguished 
looking in any gathering. He was descended from one of 
the oldest of the Knickerbocker families of the Empire 
State, yet he had a strain of Irish blood of which he was 
justly proud. He became converted to the Catholic faith 
and joined the Society of Jesus many years ago, and dur- 
ing all the time of his ministry he never wearied of doing 
the Master's work — assisting the needy, lifting up the 
fallen, consoling the afflicted and admonishing the wrong- 
doers. Those who were in sorrow or distress never 
sought his help in vain, and many a man to-day prosperous 
and happy owes his present condition to the kindly sympa- 
thy and assistance received from this truly humble follower 
of Him who hath commanded : 'Do untO' others as you 
would that they should do unto you.' 

"For many years he was an active member of the An- 
cient Order of Hibernians, and always took a deep interest 
in the welfare of the Order. As chaplain of Division No. 
2 of New York, he was unceasing in his efforts to increase 
the membership, and it was liis greatest delight to say that 

303 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

it was the largest and most prosperous Division in New 
York County. Although connected with many organiza- 
tions, he loved the Hibernians best of all, and never missed 
an opportunity of praising the Irish character. While he 
had many a kind word or excuse for any little failing we 
might possess, he was always happy to be with the boys, 
and on last St. Patrick's Day, mounted on a handsome horse, 
he rode up Fifth avenue at the head of Division 2, the 
proudest man in that great parade, and the only chaplain 
who braved the fatigue of that long ride, to- show by his 
example that we should not be ashamed nor afraid to turn 
out on the 17th of March to do honor to the memory of 
Ireland's Patron Saint. 

''And never was such an ovation accorded to any man 
as came from the hundreds of thousands who thronged that 
mighty thoroughfare when the word was passed along the 
line, 'Here comes Father Van.' Then, as his name was 
shouted from lusty throats, the scene beggars description, 
but will long live in the memory of those who were present 
that day. The true-hearted sons and daughters of Erin 
were proud of him, and he was with his own people, for 
he was more Irish than the Irish themselves. 

"Little did we, who marched with him on that occasion, 
imagine that before the year had run its course he would 
be called to receive the reward of the just for having 
'fought the good fight' and having kept the faith ; he is now 
numbered amongst God's chosen ones. With him has passed 
away one of the grandest characters of the Catholic priest- 
hood in this country. He was the embodiment of all that 
was noblest and best, and a living illustration of the sub- 
lime maxim of our grand and noble order, 'Friendship, 
Unity and Christian Charity,' in its broadest significance." 

304 



M 



NEW YORK'S "FINEST" AND OTHERS 

Few are aware of the veritable army of men required to 
police a city like New York. Only on the occasion of the 
annual parade, when five thousand of the "finest," about 
half the police force of the city, march in serried ranks 
through Broadway or Fifth Avenue, does the average New 
Yorker realize the legions that day and night patrol the big 
metropolis. Seventy-five per cent, of these representatives 
of the law are Catholics. Of those on duty in the Borough 
of ^lanhattan there are few who did not know the tall, 
handsome priest personally, or by sight, or reputation. 

Shortly after his assignment to St. Francis Xavier's, 
Father Van Rensselaer saw that the city policemen were 
sadly in need of a priest to look after their spiritual inter- 
ests, for only after his death came the appointment of . a 
regular chaplain to the Police Department. 

Father Van Rensselaer's methods of looking after the 
city's guardians were clever adaptations of the code in use 
among the men themselves. The policemen were regularly 
''held up'' on their beat by this spiritual roundsman. The 
sight of the uniform seemed to fire his zeal and to estab- 
lish his right to interrogate every bluecoat. What his ques- 
tions were niay be surmised. If he was a Catholic his 
spiritual state was investigated, and his needs attended to 
before they parted. If the man was not a Catholic, no 
ofTense was taken, his respect for religion was increased, 
perhaps, and there are instances in which a desire to know 
more about the Catholic Church was the result. One of 
the former Police Commissioners to-day is proud of being 
a convert of Father Van Rensselaer. 

At some of the station houses, particularly in the lower 
city or in the neighborhood of St. Francis Xavier's — at 
that time a rather unsavorv district — he was a frequent 

305 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

visitor. He went there as he went to engine houses, be- 
cause it gave him an opportunity to^ meet many of the 
men at once. Though all knew the purpose of his visits, 
he was always welcome. The lieutenant at the desk, or the 
captain if present, would be the first to greet him, for cap- 
tain and lieutenant, besides the respect they had for the 
priest personally, found the men more tractable and more 
conscientious under ''Father Van's" tutelage than they had 
ever been before. Church and State, in this department, 
worked very harmoniously and beneficially indeed. 

After a few minutes of general conversation he would 
take the men aside singly and broach the subject dearest to 
his heart. There was a graciousness and off-handedness 
about the maneuver that relieved the man of any embarrass- 
ment.' He would take his medicine, if not always with a 
smile, at least like a man, and when he went out to his post 
his heart was lighter and his sense of responsibility greater 
because he had had that talk with "Father Van." 

An outsider would hardly credit the genuine affection 
that existed for the self-appointed chaplain. Long after 
most citizens had retired for the night, this good priest 
would meet the policemen on their rounds, usually with a 
friendly pat on the shoulder, and they would patrol the beat 
together. Some of the men would ask for an assignment 
to the district where they felt sure that at some hour during 
the night they would meet their devoted friend. It was 
thus Father Van Rensselaer often spent the hours which he 
might have given to a much needed rest after the fatigues 
of the day. Whenever there was a lecture or play or enter- 
tainment in the College Theatre, it was customary for the 
captain of the precinct to detail for police duty some of the 
reserves, two or three, or half a dozen, as the occasion re- 

306 



NEW YORK'S "FINEST" AND OTHERS 

quired. Regularly Father Van Rensselaer would telephone 
to the captain to appoint men who needed to be "rounded 
up." When the unsuspecting officers arrived the priest was 
at his post to receive them. After the gathering had dis- 
persed the men were treated to some modest refreshments, 
and when they returned to report they were usually better 
men than they had been perhaps for many a day. 

A few months after his death an aged woman was run 
down by some vehicle and taken in a dying condition to St. 
Vincent's Hospital. Her son, a policeman, was hastily sum- 
moned to her side. As he entered some friends were kneel- 
ing saying the Litanies. The policeman knelt with them, 
and folding his hands in prayer said aloud: "Father Van 
Rensselaer in heaven, pray for my poor mother," all the 
others devoutly joining in the petition. Many a policeman 
in Brooklyn or the Bronx who only knew Father Van Rens- 
selaer by repute w^ould when ill express the wish to see the 
policeman's friend. No matter at what inconvenience to 
himself, Father Van Rensselaer was ever prompt to answer 
the call. If a patrolman fell into a scrape — and how easy it 
is for them to get into one — the surest friend he had and 
the first he thought of was "Father Van." He never failed 
them. His letters of appeal for policemen were so frequent 
that a distinguished Police Commissioner, who afterwards 
rose to the highest office in the land, used to say to his col- 
leagues : "If Father Blank of the Paulists sends a letter in 
behalf of any of the men, show it every consideration, but 
don't take any stock in Father Van Rensselaer's." Experi- 
ence had taught him that whether the case was good, bad 
or indifferent, the accused would always find in him a ready 
champion. Before Father Van Rensselaer's death the ap- 
pointment of a regular chaplain for the police was mooted. 

307 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

It was well known that in a minor way and within a certain 
area Father Van Rensselaer was already exercising the 
functions. Had he lived a little longer he would have un- 
questionably received the honor of a formal appointment 
as Chaplain of the Police Department of New York. 

In the pursuit of souls, though he was already connected 
with other associations, Father Van Rensselaer accepted the 
office of Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus. We have 
no means of knowing much of his relations with them, 
though we find in his papers sketches of some of the dis- 
courses he dehvered at their meetings in his capacity of 
spiritual guide. There is, for instance, a very elaborate 
study of the great Centre Party of Germany, that lifted 
Catholicity in the Empire out of the ''slough of despond," 
and made it a pillar of strength for law and order. There 
is one on King David and another on the Crusaders, and 
another which is an affectionate and minute study of the 
great Catholic leader, Windthorst, and so on. Such models 
held up to the Knights must have been potent influences in 
helping them to realize their ideals. 

In the Resolution of the New York Chapter of the 
Knights of Columbus on the occasion of his death they 
speak of him as ''this noble man, this good, sincere friend, 
this enthusiastic worker, this pious and loving priest whose 
memory we revere." They express their "sincere sorrow 
for the death of this worthy priest whose sole aim in life 
was to carry on the work of Our Lord and Saviour. His 
life was an exemplification of true Christian manhood, and 
the highest type of membership in our honored Order." 



3US 



!j 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
With the Fire-Laddies. 

IN the popular mind Father Van Rensselaer is especially 
associated with the firemen of New York. He was 
never chaplain, though he would have been delighted to 
receive that distinction, but he performed as a free lance 
the work of many regular officials. He pursued the "smoke- 
eaters" continually; in the street, in their homes, and in the 
engine houses. The work was an extensive one, for there 
are man}^ Catholics in the Department; but the Protestants 
appear to have always accorded him a ready welcome. It 
was all done in such a light-hearted manner that the 
straightening-out of consciences lost its terrors. The "boys" 
all liked him and were not averse to playing many a prank 
at his expense, knowing perfectly well he would not take it 
amiss. Thus on one occasion, we are told, when Father 
Van Rensselaer was climbing the stairs to catch the men in 
their beds, the officer below touched the electric button and 
the whole company slid down the pole to the ground floor, 
so that when his reverence reached the top floor he found 
himself solitary and alone. He enjoyed the joke as much 
as the perpetrators did. He had to continue the hunt, of 
course, and he descended, but not by the pole. 

The object of his visit was so well known to the men 
that the one in charge would immediately vacate the little 
office where the books are kept and turn the room over to 
the priest to be used as a confessional. One man who sadly 
needed his spiritual ministrations for months eluded him. 

309 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Having ascertained the hours when this man could be found 
on duty, he went one day to the house and asked for him. 
The man was upstairs and "Father Van" started up to find 
him. When he saw the head appearing at the top of the 
stairs, the fireman promptly slid down the brass pole, as the 
only means of escape. Father Van Rensselaer, standing on 
the narrow stairway, said, with a smile: "You slid down, 
but you cannot slide up." The man, caught fairly, suc- 
cumbed and became a devoted penitent of the fisher of men, 
and often told the story with a laugh. 

Every priest engaged in the ministry has his consolations 
in the visible workings of divine grace as well as in the 
striking examples that follow what may be termed the 
neglect of Divine calls and warnings. Among the firemen 
whom Father Van Rensselaer attended was one who had 
been careless for many years. The zealous chaplain tried 
repeatedly to reach him, but never could find him in. At 
last he went one day to the engine-house, waited until he 
captured his man and persuaded him to make his confession. 
That night there was a big fire, the fire laddie went out 
with his company, and was brought home dead. 

Another fireman resisted all the advances and entreaties 
of the priest and at length, to escape further importunity, 
put him off with the promise that he would go to confession 
when he became foreman of his company. The coveted 
honor came after a year or two, but on the very day of his 
appointment he met the fate which his priestly monitor had 
so often pictured to him; he, too, was instantly killed in 
answering a fire-call, but his promise to make his confession 
had not been fulfilled. 

A story told by the members of Company No. — is the 
following : One day Father Van Rensselaer met a fireman 

310 



WITH THE FIRE-LADDIES 

on his way to the fire-hoiise and learned that the laddie had 
not gone to church or confession for a long time. So he 
proposed to hear his confession as he accompanied him to 
his quarters. The fireman assented and told his story as 
they walked on. A few minutes later the hook and ladder 
truck with its double line of firemen swung down Sixth 
Avenue in answer to an alarm. There was a collision with 
a pillar of the elevated road; all of the firemen escaped with 
slight injuries except one man, who was killed outright. It 
was the fireman whom Father Van Rensselaer had shriven 
on his way to the fire-house. 

Instances like these were of great service in bringing 
home to the men the necessity of being always ready. The 
fireman, he used to say to them, was ever on the alert to 
answer the alarm bell in order to save the property and life 
of his neighbor; why should he be less prepared to answer 
the summons of his Maker and to save his own immortal 
soul? 

If he heard of a hard case, he followed it up until he 
settled it. Once he pursued a sinner who, trying to escape 
from him, climbed up on a heap of coal. Father Van Rens- 
selaer went after him and "straightened him out," figura- 
tively, then and there. Chief of Battalion X. evaded him 
for months, but finally ran into him by accident near the 
College door. Of course Father Van Rensselaer hailed him 
at once and put him through the usual process. But the 
chief afterwards said that he was the happiest man on 
earth. He had dreaded the ordeal and was so relieved to 
have it over. 

One precious souvenir left among his papers is a little 
note-book in which he kept a list of the fire engine and 
hook and ladder companies of Manhattan visited by him 

311 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

once a month. It was manifestly impossible for the men to 
come to him, so he went to them. The book itself tells an 
interesting story and the temptation to give at least the 
numbers of the companies is irresistible. 

Fire Engine Companies^ Manhattan. 

No. 1— West 29th Street. No. 23— West 58th Street. - 

2— West 43rd Street. 24 — ^Morton Street. 

3— West 17th Street. 25— Fifth Street. 

5— East 14th Street. 26— West 37th Street. 

8— East 51st Street. 34— West 33rd Street. 

14— East 18th Street. 39— East 67th Street. 

18— West 10th Street. 44— East 75th Street. 

19— West 25th Street. 47— West 113th Street, 

21 — West 25th Street. Amsterdam Ave. 

No. 54 — West 47th Street. 

Hook and Ladder Companies, Manhattan. 

No. 2— East 50th Street. No. 11— Fifth Street. 

3— East 13th Street. 12— West 20th Street. 

4 — 48th St. & 8th Ave. 16— East 167th Street. 

5 — Charles Street. 18 — Attorney Street. 

8 — N. Moore Street. 20— Mercer Street. 

No. 21— West 36th Street. 

This list covers about one-third the number of fire com- 
panies in the Borough of Manhattan and zig-zags from 
east to west and north to south in a way that must have 
often exercised the priest's ingenuity to reach the fire- 
houses with as little loss of time as possible. Then follow- 
ing the number of the company and its address are the full 

312 



WITH THE FIRE-LADDIES 

names of all the members, beginning always with the cap- 
tain or foreman and lieutenant or assistant. Ninety-five 
per cent, are apparently Catholic, for the letter f*. after a 
fireman's name is of rare occurrence. The R. I. P. after a 
man's name is frequent. Would that we could give the full 
story that lies hidden under the simple initials. Was the 
man killed at a fire or did he die peacefully, attended by his 
priestly mentor? Father Van Rensselaer knew, and the 
little R. I. P. shows that his love for the 'men followed them 
to the grave and beyond. Two men in one company are 
marked ''not confirmed," and then their home address is 
bracketed. So he was not content with a mere visit to the 
engine house. When they needed further instruction he 
was careful to give it, and he saw that they received all the 
sacramental helps w^hich the Church had the power to be- 
stow. If these companies on his list represent the firemen 
he visited regularly, there were many others which were 
visited off and on. Whenever his ministry summoned him 
to a distant point he never passed an engine house or a 
police station without paying his respects. Indeed, it is well 
known that there were fire companies in Jersey City and 
Newark that he looked after as regularly as he did those 
in New York. 

His foible for the Fire Department pursued him when 
away from New York, and we find him in Boston making 
his way around to the engine houses to see "the boys." He 
evidently caught them, for we find affectionate letters from 
them among his papers. They even went to the Fire Com- 
missioner and asked for some testimonial to show what they 
thought of him. The commissioner gave him a badge, 
Avhich, one of the firemen said, "The commissioner would 
not have given to his own son." 

313 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

We append an account of this incident taken from one of 
the Boston papers : — 

'The Rev. Henry Van Rensselaer, SJ., of New York, 
made a brief visit to Boston recently. During his stay, 
Father Van Rensselaer, who is the Chaplain of the Fire 
Department of New York, visited a large number of fire- 
men and heard their confessions. Some of the men had not 
been to confession previously for years, their neglect being 
partially due tO' their long hours of service. 

' 'Father Van Rensselaer won a warm, place in the hearts 
of the firemen of Boston because of his kind labors for their 
spiritual good. Wishing to give him a testimonial of their 
regard, they chose one of their number to wait on Fire 
Commissioner Russell tO' get his permission to present the 
reverend gentleman with a fireman's badge, as it was inti- 
mated that such a gift would please him better than money 
or anything else. Mr. Russell did a very courteous and 
kindly act in answer to the request, not only readily giving 
his consent that Father Van Rensselaer should be thus hon- 
ored, but he would also have presented him a solid gold 
badge, at his own expense, had not the rules of the Jesuits 
forbidden its acceptance. The good priest was given a reg- 
ulation fireman's badge, with his name and the date of its 
presentation inscribed on its back. Father Van Rensselaer 
is the only man outside the members of the Department to 
be honored with the regulation badge." 

The following is the letter of the Fire Commissioner, 
which seems to be an answer to one of Father Van Rens- 
selaer, acknowledging the receipt of the badge : 

314 



WITH THE FIRE-LADDIES 

"Fire Commissioner. 
"Bristol Street, Boston. 
"My Dear Sir: 

"I am very glad to get your thoughtful note. It is need- 
less to say that my remembrance of my uncle, Father 
Coolidge Shaw, draws me tenderly towards those of his 
Order. Certainly Father Finnegan is a trump. 

"That simple badge, not of silver, is a slight recognition 
of the feeling you have inspired among the men who know 
you. "Very truly yours, 

(Signed) "H. S. Russell. 
"May 14, 1898." 

Father Van Rensselaer's interest in the Boston firemen 
lasted as long as he lived. One of the letters he received at 
Auriesville a few wxeks before his death was from one of 
the men he had met there nearly ten years before. A few 
letters from one of these men fortunately escaped the whole- 
sale destruction of his correspondence and serve admirably 
to complete the record of his doings in Boston. 

"Boston, April 5th, 1898. 
"My Reverend Friend : 

"W^ell, I have actually been born over again; it is as you 
say, so very easy when you once break the ice. I went to 
Communion on Sunday, and Joe Webber said that when I 
was walking towards the altar the organ began to play 
'When Johnnie Comes Marching Home,' and if it didn't, it 
ought to; every one seems to know about my going to 
church on Sunday. It has spread through the Department, 
and if you were here for a month you could bring them all 
to their milk, for no one can do it like 'Father Van,' as the 
boys call you here. 

315 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

"I wish you would write to Mc . I enclose an envel- 
ope with his address. Just lay it to him strong and make 
him go to confession. So now, my dear friend, I know you 
must be busy, and I will close by asking our good God to 
ever watch over and guard you and give you strength to 
convert more like 

"Your friend forever, 



"Boston, May 5th, 1898. 
"Reverend Sir: 

"I have just got back from my vacation and I thought I 
would drop you a line. I suppose by this time you have 
the Department badge which Father Finnegan sent you 
from the boys in the Department and the commissioner. 
And by the way, the commissioner wanted it made of gold, 
but I told him that Father Finnegan instructed me to have 
it made of metal just like our own badges. I did not think 
that the commissioner would give the seal of Boston, for I 
knew a great many influential and leading men in Boston 
have tried to get one and were unable to do so. When he 
consented to give us anything we wanted for you, you may 
be sure that I felt good about it, and when the boys in the 
Department got hold of it, regardless of their religious be- 
lief, they were all glad. Father Finnegan said he was 
going to see the commissioner and thank him, but I think a 
line from you would just make him feel good. 
"Respectfully yours. 



"Engine No. - — 

"All the fellows send their best respects to you." 

316 



WITH THE FIRE-LADDIES 

"Boston, May 27th, 1898. 
"My Dear Friend : 

"Pardon me for not writing before, but you know, 
Father, that laziness will overcome the lazy sometimes, and 
I have no other excuse to offer. I can't lie to you, for you 
would know it the moment you read it. Father, my scapu- 
lars broke and fell off ; I have them in a drawer in my desk 
now. I have not had them on for two days, and I confess 
to you that I feel queer, something I never thought of be- 
fore. I think you must have forgotten me in your prayers, 
for temptation has com,e my way strongly. I tried to hold 
out, but succumbed only once, and that was since the scapu- 
lars have been off. 

"Jim buried his mother this morning; he has been 

away for three days. 

"Everyone else seems to be enjoying life. 'Goggie Mac' 
has not been to Communion yet, and I wish you would 
wTite to him. 

"Now, Father, don't forget me again. I feel to-night as 
if I had lost everything I gained from you, and when I 
started to write to you I had the same old voice tell me: 
'What does he care for you; why, he will only read that 
and laugh and say, what is the matter with him.' But T 
write anyhow. 

"I drew a very good time for my vacation this year. I 
have from July 5th to 19th. I have not as yet selected a 
place to go. 

"Where would you go ? You name me a place and I will 
go if it is within my means. You have done so much for 
me, I will do whatever you say on my vacation. Do you 
know that I have never met a priest that had so much con- 
trol over one as you have? It seems as if I were writing 

317, 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

to God when I write to you. Well, Father, don't forget my 
scapulars, and above all, don't forget me again, and trust- 
ing He will guard and guide you ever, I say, 
"Au plasir de vous revoir, 



( From the same. ) 

"Boston, July 4th, 1898. 
'Tather Van — My Dear Friend: 

''Forgive me for not answering your letter and acknowl- 
edging receipt of package. I am very thankful to you for 
your kindness. The beads I have told every night since re- 
ceiving. One pair of scapulars I gave to Jim Caine, the 
rest I still have. 

"About vacation, I wish you had mentioned Auriesville, 
N. Y., to me in your first letter and I would have gone 
there for two weeks ; as it now, I have given my word to 
go to Onset, Mass., on Cape Cod, with four other fellows, 
and we have the cottage engaged and all arrangements 
made. It will be my first vacation to stop two weeks steady 
in one place. I have always gone to different cities raising 
the devil generally. My companions' names are Waggett 
of Engine 26, Little of Ladder 17, and an outsider named 
Hurley. If I can break from them the last two or three 
days I will gO' to N. Y. just to go to confession to you.. I 
am glad you went to Paterson. I am v/ell acquainted with 
lots of the boys there, and you could do quite a business 
among them. 

"We had a little squib of a fire off Chauncy Street Fri- 
day night and some of the boys of this company got scalded 
pretty badly by the hot water coming back on them. We 
had both engines out to it. Saturday night we had another 
one, and some of the boys on ill-fated engines 38 and 39 got 

318 



WITH THE FIRE-LADDIES 

hurt. Jim Mimgoren is off duty on the sick list. I wouldn't 
be surprised if he has consumption ; he has gone up country 
to recuperate. All the rest of the gang are in good condi- 
tion. As for myself, everything goes easy since you became 
my friend; it feels just as if I was rich and didn't have to 
bother about anything. This, as you know, is our busy day 
and the alarms are coming in thick and fast, but none have 
as yet amounted to anything serious. 

"It has been very warm here for the past three or four 
days. What do you think of our boys at the front, ain't 
they all right? At least sixty-five per cent, of them are 
Catholics. That gives the lie to some of these prating hyp- 
ocrites about our religion. I hope you will strike some- 
where near Boston, if not in it, soon. The paper here had 
quite an account of your badge the other day. I am glad 
he gave you one: it is quite an honor from him, he would 
not give his son one. 

"Well, I have given you enough prate for this time, and 
I assure you I will write as soon as I get back, if I do not 
see you. 

"I am wearing a smooth face now. I have shaved off my 
mustache and it feels cooler. Wishing you all the luck in 
the world and assuring you I never forget you, 
"I will always remain, 



One of the favorites of the New York Department was 
Chief Gicquel, a man conspicuous for the many acts of hero- 
ism performed in the discharge of his duty. Gicquel died 
and was buried from St. Francis Xavier's. Father Van 
Rensselaer sang the Mass and preached at the funeral. We 
have a sketch of what he said on that occasion, and it ap- 

319 



I 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

pears that the chief had made a bargain with him. "If ever 
you hear that I am sick or injured, come to me wherever 
you are." The compact was kept, happily not amid the 
ruins of a fire, but in the peaceful surroundings of the 
chiefs home. 

The men as well as the officers were faithful to him, and 
whenever he was ill, which was of frequent occurrence to- 
wards the end of his life, it was a common and almost 
expected thing to see the fire-laddies making their way to 
his room for confession. At the funeral two of the men in 
uniform were the last to leave his grave. 



320 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
Last Illness and Death. 

TWENTY years had passed since Father Van Rensselaer 
was ordained a priest, the greater part of which 
time had been spent in the ministry in New York City. He 
could not help seeing that God had blessed the work of his 
hands. Though only in his fifty-seventh year, he had no 
thought, as far as one can surmise, that the end was ap- 
proaching; even those who were associated with him in 
parish work observed no indication of waning strength, 
but judged him to be possessed of his old-time vigor. The 
end came sooner than was expected. 

Sunday, June 2, 1907, was the last day of active work in 
the ministry. On that day appeared the first pronounced 
symptoms of the malady which a few months later was to 
carry him off. Fortunately, we have a complete record of 
his works of charity and zeal for that day, the only one on 
which we can follow him closely out of the many years 
during which he labored so strenuously as a priest among 
his people. Though the record covers only a little more 
than four hours, it throws light on all the days and years of 
his busy life. It was the Sunday within the octave of Cbrpus 
Christi. The priest appointed to officiate at the high 
Mass and carry the Blessed Sacrament in procession being 
indisposed, Father Van Rensselaer, who loved ceremonies 
and was ever ready to fill a gap or relieve his brother priests, 
offered to take his place, though that morning he himself 
was far from well. The ceremonies were long and fatiguing. 

321 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Tt was after one o'clock before he broke his fast, and then he 
retired to his room to prepare for a meeting that afternoon 
of the Knights of Columbus. Meantime a call was received 
to anoint a sick woman, and, as it was raining heavily, 
Father Van Rensselaer volunteered to attend to it in place 
of the priest who was on duty, saying that he had to go out 
anyhow. It did not take him long to find out that the hus- 
band of the sick woman had not been to his duty for years; 
so after preparing her for death he ministered tO' the spirit- 
ual needs of the husband. After this there was a short visit 
to Sister Dolores, who was ill, and then he started out for 
the meeting of the Knights of Columbus. 

He got as far as Union Square and was in the act of 
boarding a car when he fell in a faint to the pavement. He 
was hurried to the New York Hospital, where he presently 
revived, but for the next ten days was given absolute rest 
and allowed to see only the doctors and hospital attendants. 
In falling he received a severe scalp wound which also 
needed attention. Meanwhile the news of the mishap had 
gone the rounds of the newspapers and was received every- 
where with expressions of deep regret. During his stay in 
the hospital no hour of the day was without its stream of 
sympathetic visitors representing rich and poor, Protestants 
and Catholics alike, who made anxious inquiries about the 
patient and gave expression to their deep personal regret 
that anything untoward should have happened to good 
"Father Van." His ailment was diagnosed as vertigo. In 
reality it was much more serious. For years he had suf- 
fered periodic attacks of gout and rheumatism, which for 
months at a time had kept him confined to his room or in 
the hospital. After his seeming recovery, he made light of 
the mishap and would have resumed his usual duties in the 

322 



LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH 

parish, but the physicians prescribed an extended rest, and 
by their advice he repaired for a time to South Norwalk, 
Conn., where there is a country house for the Jesuit Scho- 
lastics of the Maryland-New York Province. In the early 
part of July another change was made to the Shrine of Our 
Lady of Martyrs, Auriesville, N. Y., where he remained 
until the second week in September. 

Though relieved during the latter period from regular 
duties, his life was not altogether inactive. Even this iso- 
lated spot in the country was to yield abundant opportuni- 
ties for doing good. Within a few weeks his spiritual 
influence spread out among the farm hands, the scattered 
groups of workmen on the new canal along the Mohawk, 
and the men of the neighboring villages. As a result, several 
old-time sinners were reclaimed and in one instance an alli- 
ance that for years had caused great scandal was broken up. 

Among the day laborers on the canal he discovered a 
young Frenchman, a graduate of a Jesuit college abroad, 
who, in spite of his education and evident refinement, could 
get no employment befitting his station in life, but was 
compelled to earn a living by digging in the trenches side 
by side with the most uncongenial associates. To him 
Father Van Rensselaer's coming was a godsend. In the 
evening they would sit on the porch of the little bungalow 
that served the Fathers of the Shrine as a shelter during 
the summer months, and the happy youth would forget, for 
the time being, the toil and heat of the day in the sympathy 
and companionship of his priestly friend. Father Van 
Rensselaer made strenuous efforts to have him appointed to 
some lighter grade of work, such as that of timekeeper or 
accountant, and though unsuccessful, his interest was as 
sincere as it was commendable. 

323 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

During his life Father Van Rensselaer had carried on a 
large correspondence with all classes of persons, exercising 
thereby an apostolate which was the more to his liking as 
it never came to the surface and was seen by God alone. 
The number of these letters that are still extant must run 
into the thousands; but notwithstanding a public appeal, 
only a few brief notes from his pen were communicated to 
aid in the preparation of his biography. The fact speaks 
volumes for the value set upon them by their fortunate 
possessors. On the other hand, the letters of which he was 
the recipient, being largely confidential, were scrupulously 
destroyed. Only a few, comparatively, which were received 
at Auriesville, escaped the fate which befell all the others. 

A summary of these few will enable us to judge of the 
general character of his correspondence, and of the oppor- 
tunities it afforded him, and which he accepted, of working 
in many directions and of extending his power for good 
beyond parochial or even city limits. Among these letters 
is one from a penitent of his who had gone to California. 
The man gives a good account of himself, for "he had made 
the mission and is working steadily," but would like a letter 
of reference. He concludes by thanking God that "his hand 
is fine," alluding evidently to some accident which he had 
met with while in New York, and owing to which he had 
fallen in with "Father Van." 

There is a letter from the Department of Parks, New 
York, granting permission "for the members of the Xavier 
Club to make a satisfactory use of their permit." In another 
a mother writing from New Jersey seeks his advice about 
sending her daughter to a convent school. A Califomian 
pleads in an eight-page letter for his active interest in the 
spiritual welfare of a younger brother, a Protestant, living 

324 



LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH 

in New York, "who is going through a heavy strain on 
mind and body." A French teacher, addressing him in 
French, bewails her physical ailments, which she enumer- 
ates, and entreats his help in obtaining pupils. 

Another post brings a note fromi a man who is looking 
for a position and has to ''get a letter from a well-known 

priest to Mr. , the head of the firm. One from your 

reverence, if you would be so kind, would, I think, suit the 
purpose. Anxiously awaiting an answer, etc." 

This is followed by a request from abroad respecting the 
''whereabouts of a poor friendless woman, who may have 
fallen into the hands of unscrupulous men or women anxious 
to possess themselves of her savings." 

A pastor in a rural district writes in the interest of a 
penniless and homeless woman who had "lost one of her 
limbs," and has sought in vain for admission to a city hos- 
pital. Would Father Van Rensselaer use his kindly influ- 
ence for the poor unfortunate? 

Then all the way from Tennessee comes an odd petition 
from a poor fellow whose foot had been cut off in a railroad 
accident, that Father Van Rensselaer would "see the St. 
Vincent de Paul Society in regards to an artificial foot," 
and then, supposing his petition is granted, would "Father 
Van" work for his admission into some religious order 
"like the Trappists" or any "Catholic Order," for, even with 
a cork foot, he could "earn a living and prove a useful 
member of the community." 

In a letter written in French from; Boulogne, a mother 
thanks him for the interest taken in her son. "My mind is 
at rest since Fve learned that Joseph is in your hands ; he, 
too, tells me how happy he is, and speaks of you, mon Pere, 
in all his letters." 

325 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Then one whose husband has ceased to support her en- 
treats himi for a letter to a certain wealthy citizen, that he 
may be induced to lend her a thousand dollars to buy at 
once a desirable house in a select neighborhood. 

From Chicago, a woman writes for information about 
two students at the College twenty years ago, and inquires 
for their residence at that time. 

A member of the Boston Fire Department is on his way 
to New York and wishes to introduce to his old friend 
^'Father Van" another fire laddie from the Hub, a convert. 

The acting Police Commissioner answers an -application 
of Father Van Rensselaer for the reinstatement of a patrol- 
man recently dismissed. 

A young man in Buffalo, who signs himself "Your affec- 
tionate son" and is seemingly a convert of "Father Van,"- 
congratulates himi on his reported recovery, and asks the 
address of his god-father. 

There is another letter from a young Frenchman seeking 
employment. The same day his influence is solicited to get 
the writer a position in a printing establishment in New 
York. A young man who thinks he has a call to the priest- 
hood seeks an appointment to talk the matter over. He 
hopes that Father Van Rensselaer will remember him as 
the person he once called "Little Jimmie." 

A lawyer expresses the hope that "we may soon see you 
home again listening sympathetically to the troubles of all 
New York," and endeavors to enlist his cooperation in a 
real estate deal. "I think a letter from you," he says, 
"would expedite matters." 

And so the correspondence runs on and on, as if "Father 
Van" were synonymous with a Bureau of Vital Statistics, 
or an information or employment agency. But the initiated 

326 



LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH 

know that he was but a zealous priest who was ''all things 
to all men that he might win all to Christ." 

Nearly two months passed at Auriesville, and on the 
whole the patient seemed to have improved. There was 
certainly no indication that the end was drawing near. He 
went about as usual, w^as most attentive to his religious 
duties, the Mass, the divine office, the daily meditation, the 
examination of conscience, and the rest. He also heard 
confessions, preached a short sermon every Sunday, and 
gave Holy Communion to the throngs on the pilgrimages. 
One day towards noon — it was the 20th of August — as he 
was reading composedly on the porch, he was seized with a 
violent spasm and would have fallen forthwith had not a 
companion caught him as he collapsed. Though he soon 
revived, his weakness thereafter assumed a more serious 
aspect. He tried not to lose heart, but he could no longer 
conceal from himself the gravity of the situation. A week 
later he wrote the following to a friend : 

"The Shrine^ Auriesville, 

"August 28, 1907. 
"... I am sorry to say that I have had a set-back. 
A week ago I had another attack. It was induced probably 
by a long walk of seven miles, the result of a drive and a 
breakdown of the wagon. It is discouraging, for I was be- 
ginning to consider myself on the cured list. I have had a 
very useless existence this summer, chiefly vegetating. 
There is really nothing to be done here except enjoy the fine 
scenery and air. I am anxious to get back to^ work. 
Give my love to all the family and ask their prayers. 
"Sincerely, 

"H. Van Rensselaer, S.J." 
327 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

On the same day he wrote to the Father Provincial for 
permission to return to New York and take up again his 
duties in the parish, thinking, no doubt, that, while the re- 
pose of a secluded spot in the country could not effect a 
permanent cure, he might as well fight it out in the midst of 
occupations which had become to him as his very life. The 
Provincial wrote back encouragingly : 

"New York, 

"August 30, 1907. 
"Dear Father Van Rensselaer: 

"P. C. 
"I received yours of the 28th. I sympathize with you on 
account of your temporary set-back ; I cannot think of it as 
anything but temporary. Be not discouraged. The doctor 
will take good care of you, and I only ask you to follow 
strictly his injunctions. The Lord knows best, in whose 
cause we are spending our energy and our life. I expect to 
be at Auriesville for September 8th ; shall then see you and 
talk matters over. In the meantime take your leisure and 
do not worry about work here. I am not forgetting you in 
my prayers. 

"Devotedly in Christ, 

"Joseph F. Hanselman, S.J." 

There was nothing for him to do but await the coming of 
the Provincial. So sure had he been of his recall to New 
York that he had packed his valise and was ready to start 
by the first train. He tore open the envelope in nervous 
haste, read the letter without changing countenance, and 
looking up at his companion, smiled sweetly and said : 
"Father Provincial advises me to wait." He took the ad- 

328 



LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH 

vice with as much composure and apparent contentment as 
if he had been expecting to remain. The habit of obedience, 
strengthened by thirty years of unquestioning submission, 
is not apt to be ruffled by a trifle. 

He left Auriesville with his mind made up to prepare for 
the inevitable. He felt that the hand of death was upon 
him. On the last clay at the Shrine, a friend who was under 
the impression that Father Van Rensselaer had already left 
for New York, entered his room abruptly and found him on 
his knees in rapt prayer. He was not very hopeful, and said 
that he believed he had only a short time to live. The sequel 
proved that he was right. A day or two after his return to 
New York, Dr. Delafield, his brother-in-law, called on him, 
and that distinguished physician saw at a glance the terrible 
inroads which the malady had made in a few short weeks. 
He must go to the hospital at once. 

It may be said that Father Van Rensselaer's last moments 
were in keeping with the whole tenor of his life. During 
the three weeks he spent in St. Vincent's Hospital he was 
loath to be treated as a sick man. He w^ould not lie down 
except at night, nor part with his cassock, which he wore 
constantly in preference to a garb which would be more 
comfortable. With his accustomed fervor, although he 
could hardly make his way to the chapel unassisted, he of- 
fered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass almost to the very 
end, and clung with childlike faith to his beads and his 
crucifix. Love for his crucified Lord had been a character- 
istic devotion of his life, and a love which through all the 
years of the scholasticate led him to make the Way of the 
Cross daily, was necessarily bound up with a tender devo- 
tion to the Mother of the Crucified. 

When he made his First Communion in Paris, his sister 

329 



LIFE OF HENRY VAN RENSSELAER 

Euphemia, who became later Sister Dolores, was at his side 
and received Communion with him. The same devoted 
sister had the sad consolation of ministering to him through 
his last illness and of remaining with him to the end. No 
more touching scene could be witnessed than his reception 
of the Holy Viaticum. He lay there in the stillness of the 
early morning, quite alone, save for the nurse. Sister Do- 
lores again, and the Jesuit who brought the Blessed Sacra- 
ment. Father Van Rensselaer held the Communion card 
unassisted, and when the Holy Viaticum had been adminis- 
tered to him, Sister Dolores, kneeling by his side, received 
Holy Communion too. She had been with him at his first 
Holy Communion, and was now with him at his last. The 
priest left them alone to make their thanksgiving together. 
The day before he died he had a convulsion and a priest 
hurried from St. Francis Xavier's. He found him gasping 
for breath and almost black in the face, but reading his 
Breviary. To a gentle remonstrance he replied : "Oh, I 
must finish the Office for the day." Later, when asked ho-w 
he felt, he answered : ''Full of faith." The same day, after 
he had sunk into unconsciousness, a gentleman came and 
begged to see him, saying : 'T have known him for a quar- 
ter of a century and have been his penitent for twenty years, 
ever since he has been a priest. I must see him before he 
dies." At first his request was refused, but he insisted, 
saying: ''Heaven is open to receive him, and you should 
go down on your knees and thank God that he is dying a 
Jesuit." Before leaving he said to Sister Dolores : ''There 
is nothing sad about a death Hke that." As the end drew 
near, a fellow Jesuit, a familiar friend of his for nearly 
thirty years, whispered : "And so. Father Van, you are 
going to leave us; you are going to Heaven." Unable to 

330 



LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH 

Speak he nodded and smiled. There was no sorrow in his 
heart, since the bitterness of the chahce he was about to 
drain was sweetened with the hope of a blessed immortality. 
With St. Paul, he could truly say : "I have fought the good 
fight ; I have finished my course ; I have kept the faith. As 
to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice which 
the Lord, the just judge, will render to me." 

He expired peacefully on the 3rd of October, the eve of 
the first Friday. His remains were removed to the church 
of St. Francis Xavier, where, following the custom of the 
Society, a low Mass of Requiem was said on Saturday 
morning by the Provincial, the Rev. Father Hanselman. 
There was no sermon or eulogy. The services were ren- 
dered more than usually impressive by the presence of His 
Grace, the Most Rev. John M. Farley, accompanied by his 
three vicars general, besides several other monsignori of the 
Archdiocese of New York and of the Diocese of Brooklyn, 
a large number of clergy, secular and regular. Christian 
Brothers and Sisters of Charity. Fully three thousand per- 
sons were crowded into the sacred edifice. The Xavier Club 
was represented by nearly its entire membership, and there 
were large delegations from the New York Chapter of the 
Knights of Columbus, from the Ancient Order of Hiber- 
nians, and from among the firemen, policemen and letter- 
carriers of the metropolis. The archbishop gave the abso- 
lution after the Mass. The body was then conveyed to St. 
John's, Fordham, and laid to rest in the little cemetery 
already hallowed by the dust of many of his religious 
brethren. 



381 



MAY 28 1912 



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